What parameters define the green hotels to increase their financial performance? An empirical research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17561/ree.n2.2025.9474Palabras clave:
green hotel, financial performance, sustainability, environmental awareness, technology, trainingResumen
Based on participatory research involving 279 green hotels from a database of 1200 provided by Ecostars, several key factors have been identified to enhance their performance. One of the most significant is the acquisition of recognized green certifications, which has a direct positive impact on both environmental performance and the market positioning of hotels. Equally important is the management of green elements, such as implementing practices for waste reduction, energy efficiency, and water conservation. The adoption of advanced technology also plays a vital role in optimizing resource use and supporting sustainability goals. Moreover, ongoing employee training is essential for raising environmental awareness and ensuring that sustainable practices are consistently applied across all operational levels. Together, these parameters—certification, management of green elements, technology use, and staff training—are critical for improving the overall environmental impact and competitive edge of green hotels in the market.
Descargas
Referencias
Abdulaali, H. S., Hanafiah, M. M., Usman, I. M., Nizam, N. U. M., & Abdulhasan, M. J. (2020). A review on green hotel rating tools, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and human comfort. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(3), 128-157.
Aboramadan, M., & Karatepe, O. M. (2021). Green human resource management perceived green organizational support and their effects on hotel employees’ behavioral outcomes. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(10), 3199-3222. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-12-2020-1440
Acampora, A., Lucchetti, M. C., Merli, R., & Ali, F. (2022). The theoretical development and research methodology in green hotels research: A systematic literature review. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 51, 512-528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.05.007
Aljoghaiman, A., Hasanein, A. M., Elshaer, I. A., & Sobaih, A. E. E. (2024). Does Environmental Performance Make Any Difference in the Relationship between Green Supply Chain Management and Hotel Competitiveness? Logistic, 8(3), 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics8030070
Altun, O., Saydam, M. B., Karatepe, T., & Dima, Ş. M. (2024). Unveiling ChatGPT in tourism education: exploring perceptions, advantages and recommendations from educators. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 16(1), 105-118.
Alvarez-Risco, A., Estrada-Merino, A., & Perez-Luyo, R. (2020). Sustainable development goals in hospitality management. In Emerald Publishing Limited, Sustainable Hospitality Management: Designing Meaningful Encounters With Talent and Technology (pp. 159-178). https://doi.org/10.1108/S1877-636120200000024012
Appelbaum, E. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: Why high-performance work systems pay off. Cornell University Press. ISBN‑10:0801486556.
Arenas-Escaso, J. F., Folgado-Fernández, J. A., & Palos-Sánchez, P. R. (2024). Internet interventions and therapies for addressing the negative impact of digital overuse: a focus on digital free tourism and economic sustainability. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 176. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17584-6
Bahuguna, P. C., Srivastava, R., & Tiwari, S. (2023). Two-decade journey of green human resource management research: a bibliometric analysis. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 30(2), 585-602. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-10-2021-0619
Barakagira, A., & Paapa, C. (2024). Green practices implementation for environmental sustainability by five-star hotels in Kampala, Uganda. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26(4), 9421-9437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03101-7
Baum, T. (2015). Human resources in tourism: Still waiting for change? A 2015 reprise. Tourism Management, 50, 204-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.04.005
Birim, S., Kazancoglu, I., Mangla, S. K., Kahraman, A., & Kazancoglu, Y. (2024). The derived demand for advertising expenses and implications on sustainability: a comparative study using deep learning and traditional machine learning methods. Annals of Operations Research, 339(1), 131-161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-04429-x
Bonilla-Chaves, E. F., Palos-Sánchez, P. R., Folgado-Fernández, J. A., & Marino-Romero, J. A. (2024). The effect of innovation performance on the adoption of human resources analytics in business organizations. Electronic Research Archive, 32(2).
Bux, C., & Amicarelli, V. (2023). Circular economy and sustainable strategies in the hospitality industry: Current trends and empirical implications. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 23(4), 624-636. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584221119581
Carmines, E. G., & Zeller, R. A. (1979). Reliability and validity assessment. Sage publications.
Carvalho, I., & Ivanov, S. (2024). ChatGPT for tourism: applications, benefits and risks. Tourism review, 79(2), 290-303.
Chan, E. S., Hon, A. H., Chan, W., & Okumus, F. (2014). What drives employees’ intentions to implement green practices in hotels? The role of knowledge, awareness, concern and ecological behaviour. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 40, 20-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2014.03.001
Chan, E. S., & Hsu, C. H. (2016). Environmental management research in hospitality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(5), 886-923. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2015-0076
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Modern methods for business research, 295(2), 295-336.
Chua, B. L., & Han, H. (2022). Green hotels: The state of green hotel research and future prospects. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 39(5), 465-483. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2022.2136329
Chung, K. C. (2020). Green marketing orientation: Achieving sustainable development in green hotel management. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(6), 722-738. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1693471
Dávid, L. D., & Dadkhah, M. (2023). Artificial intelligence in the tourism sector: Its sustainability and innovation potential. Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, 18(3), 609-613. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2023.019
Demir, M., & Demir, Ş. Ş. (2023). Is ChatGPT the right technology for service individualization and value co-creation? Evidence from the travel industry. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 40(5), 383-398. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2023.2255884
Du Pisani, J. A. (2006). Sustainable development–historical roots of the concept. Environmental Sciences, 3(2), 83-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/15693430600688831
Duric, Z., & Potočnik Topler, J. (2021). The role of performance and environmental sustainability indicators in hotel competitiveness. Sustainability, 13(12), 6574. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126574
Eid, R., Agag, G., & Shehawy, Y. M. (2021). Understanding guests’ intention to visit green hotels. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 45(3), 494-528. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348020947800
Elkhwesky, Z., El Manzani, Y., & Elbayoumi Salem, I. (2024). Driving hospitality and tourism to foster sustainable innovation: A systematic review of COVID-19-related studies and practical implications in the digital era. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 24(1), 115-133.
Falk, R. F., & Miller, N. B. (1992). A primer for soft modeling. University of Akron Press.
Fauzi, M. A., Han, H., Loureiro, S. M. C., Ariza-Montes, A., & Wider, W. (2024). Bibliometric analysis on green hotels: past, present and future trends, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(1), 241-262. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-01-2024-0121
Folgado-Fernández, J. A., Robina-Ramirez, R., Pizarro-Polo, Á., & Arenas Escaso, J. F. (2025). What role does the “smart employee” play in the economic development of the tourism sector. An empirical study in Spanish hotels. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-12-2023-0406
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
Fuchs, M. (2024). Green skills for sustainability transitions. Geography Compass, 18(10), e70003. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.70003
García-Madurga, M. Á., & Grilló-Méndez, A. J. (2023). Battlefield tourism: Exploring the successful marriage of history and unforgettable experiences: A systematic review. Tourism and Hospitality, 4(2), 307-320. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4020019
González-Rodríguez, M. R., Martín-Samper, R. C., Köseoglu, M. A., & Okumus, F. (2019). Hotels’ corporate social responsibility practices, organizational culture, firm reputation, and performance. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(3), 398-419. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1585441
Haldorai, K., Kim, W. G., & Garcia, R. F. (2022). Top management green commitment and green intellectual capital as enablers of hotel environmental performance: The mediating role of green human resource management. Tourism Management, 88, 104431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104431
Hameed, I., Hussain, H., & Khan, K. (2022). The role of green practices toward the green word-of-mouth using stimulus-organism-response model. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 5(5), 1046-1061. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-04-2021-0096
Han, H., & Ahn, S. W. (2020). Youth mobilization to stop global climate change: Narratives and impact. Sustainability, 12(10), 4127. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104127
Henseler, J., Hubona, G., & Ray, P. A. (2016). Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: updated guidelines. Industrial management & data systems, 116(1), 2-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-09-2015-0382
Hsiao, T. Y., Chuang, C. M., & Huang, L. (2018). The contents, determinants, and strategic procedure for implementing suitable green activities in star hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 69, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.10.005
Hsiao, T. Y., Chuang, C. M., Kuo, N. W., & Yu, S. M. F. (2014). Establishing attributes of an environmental management system for green hotel evaluation. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36, 197-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.09.005
ICTE (2023). Informe de Sostenibilidad Turística. Retrieved from https://marcas-icte.es/s-marca-de-sostenibilidad/
INE (2024). Cuenta Satélite del Turismo de España. INE Publicaciones Retrieved from https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=estadistica_C&cid=1254736169169&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576863
Irani, F., Kiliç, H., & Adeshola, I. (2022). Impact of green human resource management practices on the environmental performance of green hotels. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 31(5), 570-600. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2022.2022554
Iyengar, M. S., & Venkatesh, R. (2024). A brief communication on the Top Ten Trends in the Hospitality Industry for 2024: World Scenario. SCT Proceedings in Interdisciplinary Insights and Innovations, 2, 254-254. https://doi.org/10.56294/piii2024254
Karatepe, O. M., Hsieh, H., & Aboramadan, M. (2022). The effects of green human resource management and perceived organizational support for the environment on green and non-green hotel employee outcomes. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 103, 103202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103202
Khalil, N., Che Abdullah, S. N., Haron, S. N., & Hamid, M. Y. (2024). A review of green practices and initiatives from stakeholder’s perspectives towards sustainable hotel operations and performance impact. Journal of Facilities Management, 22(4), 653-682. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-03-2022-0025
Kim, Y. J., Kim, W. G., Choi, H. M., & Phetvaroon, K. (2019). The effect of green human resource management on hotel employees’ eco-friendly behavior and environmental performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 76, 83-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.04.007
Koch, J., Gerdt, S. O., & Schewe, G. (2020). Determinants of sustainable behavior of firms and the consequences for customer satisfaction in hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89, 102515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102515
Koščak, M., & O’Rourke, T. (2024). Management of Trends in Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Post-2023. In Tourism in a VUCA World: Managing the Future of Tourism, (pp. 11-25). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Leal-Solís, A., & Robina-Ramírez, R. (2022). Tourism planning in underdeveloped regions—what has been going wrong? The case of Extremadura (Spain). Land, 11(5), 663. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050663
Luo, J. M., Chau, K. Y., Fan, Y., & Chen, H. (2021). Barriers to the implementation of green practices in the integrated resort sector. SAGE open, 11(3), 21582440211030277. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211030277
Martínez-Martínez, A., Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., Garcia-Perez, A., & Wensley, A. (2019). Knowledge agents as drivers of environmental sustainability and business performance in the hospitality sector. Tourism Management, 70, 381-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.08.030
Millar, M., Mayer, K. J., & Baloglu, S. (2012). Importance of green hotel attributes to business and leisure travelers. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 21(4), 395-413. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2012.624294
Mzembe, A. N., Idemudia, U., & Angel, M. E. (2021). Sustainability led innovations in the hospitality industry: A case study of the adoption of the Green Key Scheme standards in the Netherlands. Journal of Cleaner Production, 291, 125210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125210
Nisar, Q. A., Haider, S., Ali, F., Gill, S. S., & Waqas, A. (2024). The role of green HRM on environmental performance of hotels: Mediating effect of green self-efficacy & employee green behaviors. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 25(1), 85-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2022.2109235
Nisar, Q. A., Haider, S., Ali, F., Jamshed, S., Ryu, K., & Gill, S. S. (2021). Green human resource management practices and environmental performance in Malaysian green hotels: The role of green intellectual capital and pro-environmental behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 311, 127504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127504
Osolase, E. H., Rasdi, R. M., & Mansor, Z. D. (2023). Developing awareness of green human resource development practices in the hotel industry. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 25(2), 116-122. https://doi.org/10.1177/15234223231155503
Peiró-Signes, A., Segarra-Oña, M. D. V., Verma, R., Mondéjar-Jiménez, J., & Vargas-Vargas, M. (2014). The impact of environmental certification on hotel guest ratings. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55(1), 40-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965513503488
Qubbaj, A., & Signes, A. P. (2022). The importance of environmental certificates for green hotel: Bibliometric and network analysis. Foundations of Management, 14(1), 7-24. https://doi.org/10.2478/fman-2022-0001
Rassiah, P., Mohd Nasir, N., Khan, G., & Munir, S. A. (2022). Stakeholder salience and environmental stewardship among hotels in Malaysia. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 13(5), 1201-1228. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-06-2021-0221
Ray, A., Sachdeva, I., Rana, N. P., Nunkoo, R., & She, L. (2023). Is the information on green hotel websites aligned with the drivers affecting customers’ intention to visit green hotels? A mixed-methods approach. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 33(1), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2023.2235335
Renwick, D. W., Redman, T., & Maguire, S. (2013). Green human resource management: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00328.x
Robertson, J. L., & Barling, J. (2017). Toward a new measure of organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Journal of Business Research, 75, 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.02.007
Robina Ramírez, R., & Fernández Portillo, A. (2020). What role does touristś educational motivation play in promoting religious tourism among travellers?. Annals of Leisure Research, 23(3), 407-428. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2018.1561309
Robina-Ramírez, R., Fernández-Portillo, A., & Díaz-Casero, J. C. (2019). Green Start‐Ups’ Attitudes towards Nature When Complying with the Corporate Law. Complexity, 2019(1), 4164853. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4164853
Robina-Ramírez, R., Leal-Solís, A., Medina-Merodio, J. A., & Estriegana-Valdehita, R. (2023). From satisfaction to happiness in the co-creation of value: the role of moral emotions in the Spanish tourism sector. Quality & Quantity, 57(4), 3783-3804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-022-01528-0
Robina-Ramírez, R., & Medina-Merodio, J. A. (2019). Transforming students’ environmental attitudes in schools through external communities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 629-638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.391
Robina-Ramírez, R., Sánchez-Oro, M., Cabezas-Hernández, M. T., & Calleja-Aldana, M. (2020). Host and guest social exchange in developing tourist sites: The case of the International Tagus Natural Park. Sustainability, 12(18), 7248. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187248
Robina-Ramírez, R., Sánchez-Oro, M., Jiménez-Naranjo, H. V., & Castro-Serrano, J. (2021). Tourism governance during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: A proposal for a sustainable model to restore the tourism industry. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01707-3
Robina‐Ramírez, R., Torrecilla‐Pinero, J., Leal‐Solís, A., & Pavón‐Pérez, J. A. (2024). Tourism as a driver of economic and social development in underdeveloped regions. Regional Science Policy & Practice, 16(1), 12639. https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12639
Robinson, S., Singh, A. J., & Das, P. (2016). Financial impact of LEED and energy star certifications on hotel revenues. The Journal of Hospitality Financial Management, 24(2), 110-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/10913211.2016.1236567
Sánchez-Oro, M., & Robina Ramírez, R. (2020). Los grupos focales (“ focus group”) como herramienta de investigación turística. Universidad de Extremadura, Servicio de Publicaciones.
Shehawy, Y. M., Agag, G., Alamoudi, H. O., Alharthi, M. D., Brown, A., Labben, T. G., & Abdelmoety, Z. H. (2024). Cross-national differences in consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) more for green hotels. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103665
Srivastava, S., Dhamija, P., & Madan, P. (2025). “How does workplace spirituality influence organizational citizenship behavior in the hospitality industry?”: a person-organization fit perspective. Journal of Asia Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-01-2024-0017
Tseng, S. M., & Octavyaputri, S. (2024). Enhancing green service innovation behavior through green involvement: the role of information technology adoption. Aslib Journal of Information Management,77(4), 760-779 https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-11-2023-0497
Tong, L., Jabbour, C. J. C., Najam, H., & Abbas, J. (2022). Role of environmental regulations, green finance, and investment in green technologies in green total factor productivity: Empirical evidence from Asian region. Journal of Cleaner Production, 380, 134930.
Van Huy, L., Nguyen, H. T., Hoang Long, P., Quyen Phu Thi, P., & Pham, N. T. (2024). Going green: predicting tourists’ intentions to stay at eco-friendly hotels–the roles of green attitude and environmental concern. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 7(5), 2723-2741. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-05-2023-0355
Wan, L., Zhang, Y., Qi, S., Li, H., Chen, X., & Zang, S. (2017). A study of regional sustainable development based on GIS/RS and SD model—Case of Hadaqi industrial corridor. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 654-662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.086
Williams, L. J., Vandenberg, R. J., & Edwards, J. R. (2009). 12 structural equation modeling in management research: A guide for improved analysis. Academy of Management Annals, 3(1), 543-604. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520903065683
Wong, J. W. C., & Lai, I. K. W. (2024). Influence of the green certification logo and text on environmental awareness and hotel guests’ water-saving behaviour. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 41(4), 491–507. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2024.2310763
Yusoff, Y. M., Nejati, M., Kee, D. M. H., & Amran, A. (2020). Linking green human resource management practices to environmental performance in hotel industry. Global Business Review, 21(3), 663-680. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150918779294
Zutshi, A., Creed, A., Bhattacharya, A., Croy, G., & Dahms, S. (2022). Sustainability during the COVID pandemic: analysis of hotel association communication. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(23), 3840-3853. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2057842
Descargas
Publicado
Número
Sección
Licencia
Derechos de autor 2025 José A. Folgado-Fernández, Ana Leal-Solís, Rafael Robina-Ramírez, José Amelio Medina-Merodio , Jorge A. Marino-Romero
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.
- Los autores/as conservarán sus derechos de autor y garantizarán a la revista el derecho de primera publicación de su obra, el cuál estará simultáneamente sujeto a la Licencia de reconocimiento de Creative Commons que permite a terceros compartir la obra siempre que se indique su autor y su primera publicación esta revista.
- Los autores/as podrán adoptar otros acuerdos de licencia no exclusiva de distribución de la versión de la obra publicada (p. ej.: depositarla en un archivo telemático institucional o publicarla en un volumen monográfico) siempre que se indique la publicación inicial en esta revista.
- Se permite y recomienda a los autores/as difundir su obra a través de Internet (p. ej.: en archivos telemáticos institucionales o en su página web) antes y durante el proceso de envío, lo cual puede producir intercambios interesantes y aumentar las citas de la obra publicada. (Véase El efecto del acceso abierto).
La Revista de Estudios Empresariales. Segunda Época, utiliza PKP Preservation Network (PN).
