Project Description
This project examined how travellers interpret environmental claims communicated by hotels and how these claims shape perceptions of credibility, trust, and sustainable accommodation choice. The research comprised a qualitative study of green hotel communication, focusing on messages conveyed through in-room signage, hotel websites, and promotional materials, alongside visible environmental cues such as eco-certification displays.
The aim of the project was to clarify the interpretive mechanisms through which environmental claims influence traveller perceptions, including how travellers infer organisational motives behind sustainability messaging and how uncertainty and scepticism may arise. A further aim was to identify communication practices that can enhance transparency and credibility, reduce perceived greenwashing risk, and support more informed and responsible consumer choices in the hospitality sector.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
Data were generated through five semi-structured focus group discussions conducted in 2023 with 33 English-speaking travellers in Queensland, Australia. Participants were purposively recruited to capture a breadth of perspectives and to facilitate interactive discussion of how green claims are noticed, evaluated, and reconciled with expectations of genuine environmental practice. Each session lasted approximately 60 to 90 minutes. The project benefits travellers by clarifying which features of environmental claims improve understanding and reduce confusion, thereby supporting more informed decision-making. It also benefits hotel managers and marketing practitioners by identifying communication approaches that are more likely to be perceived as transparent and credible. Indirect beneficiaries include eco-certification bodies, tourism organisations, and policy stakeholders seeking evidence to strengthen transparency and reduce greenwashing risk.
Outcomes to Date
The project has produced two conference papers, a journal article published in the Journal of Vacation Marketing (ABDC-A) and a conversation piece.
Project Significance
The project is important because hotels increasingly communicate environmental initiatives, yet travellers often face information asymmetry when judging whether claims reflect substantive environmental performance or symbolic marketing. When credibility is uncertain, travellers may discount legitimate sustainability efforts or, alternatively, may be influenced by vague or selective claims. Both outcomes weaken incentives for authentic environmental management and can undermine trust in sustainability labelling and communication across the tourism system.
By generating evidence on how travellers evaluate environmental claims, the project supports SDG-aligned practice by strengthening transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making. It contributes most directly to SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, by improving the interpretability of information that guides consumer choice and by encouraging responsible marketing and disclosure in the private sector.