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- Marketing's impact on sustainable tourism: an empirical study of hotel units in the Northern Region of PortugalPublication . Liberato, Dália; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Guedes, Marta; Costa, Elga; Liberato, PedroSustainable tourism emerges as a response to mass tourism, caused by the intensification of travel. As a result of Sustainable Tourism, the practice of Responsible Tourism and Conscious Tourism emerges, leading to behaviors of greater environmental, cultural, and social sustainability at the destination, but also to an increasing environmental concern. The hospitality sector, government agencies, trade associations and tourism service providers in each country play a pivotal role in increasing environmental awareness/education among local communities and visitors at the destination. The main objective of this research is to understand the importance of Marketing in Sustainable Tourism, applied to hotel units in the northern region of Portugal. As specific objectives, the research aims to: Identify the marketing strategies adopted by the hotel units that lead to greater involvement of stakeholders (tourists, employees, stakeholders and local community), Identify the marketing strategies adopted by the hotel units, valued by the guests, before, during and after the tourist experience and find out how Marketing in Sustainable Tourism contributes to the dynamization of the region and improvement of the destination experience. In the development of this study, a qualitative methodology was selected, consisting of an exploratory study, based on semi-structured interviews. The sample consists of directors and/or managers of hotel units awarded with the “Green Key” certification, in 2022, in the northern region of Portugal. Furthermore, some partner entities that assist in the certification of these enterprises were also included, namely ABAE and consulting companies in the Sustainable Tourism sector. From an analytical point of view, it provides interesting results for the northern region of Portugal, where a continuous growth toward its sustainable development is expected, with an increasing number of certified tourist accommodations and their contribution to the distribution of economic wealth in the region, dynamization and promotion, as well as the responsible engagement of tourists with residents and increasing awareness of these indicators.
- Sustainability perspectives of rural and urban luxury hotelsPublication . Liberato, Dália; Costa, Elga; Saraiva, Daniela; Liberato, Pedro; Rodrigues, CristinaSustainability and luxury are topics of research at an individual level, but the relationship between them is still somewhat ambiguous. Sustainability aims to protect and preserve the environment, encourages the conscious use of resources, and promotes good community involvement. Luxury, on the other hand, is considered materialistic consumption to satisfy individual pleasures, referring to the exclusive and personalized use of a product or service. Assuming this antagonistic relationship, the main objective of this study is to compare the perception and practices of sustainability in luxury hotels, both in urban and rural areas. To this end, the specific objectives are to understand the sustainability indicators and in the context of hotel operations, the behavior and receptiveness of tourists to sustainability practices in hotels (urban and rural) and to identify the obstacles faced by hotels in implementing sustainable measures. Using qualitative analysis, through semi-structured interviews with the managers/directors or representatives in charge of luxury hotels in urban and rural areas in the Northern Region of Portugal, it was also possible to gain a more detailed understanding of sustainability in luxury hotels in urban and rural areas, as well as their points of convergence and divergence. Some of the statements made in the literature review were confirmed, especially regarding the profile of tourists, who mention that their perception of sustainability differs according to their geographical location. It was also possible to confirm that many sustainable practices are not implemented in luxury hotels, not only for fear of affecting the quality of the guest experience, but, according to the data from this research, it is also mainly due to a lack of financial resources, awareness, and leadership problems.