Testing whether eco certifications sell tourism services

Eco certifications are accepted as a tool to help suppliers in the tourism industry establish environmental performance goals. They help suppliers to adopt environmentally sustainable standards, and simultaneously help potential customers recognizing environmentally sustainable products and services. Customer attitudes toward eco certifications and willingness to pay for them have been well documented in literature, commonly identifying favorable attitudes toward eco certified products. However, despite previous work it is unclear if eco certifications have an impact on the actual purchase behavior. This study uses a small case study to test a method which aims to assess the impact eco certification has on purchase behavior, and investigate what role attitudes play in the decision making. Results from the case study indicate that attitudes toward eco certifications are not a good predictor for purchase behavior and despite good intentions the majority of tourists does not seem to be affected by eco certifications.