ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain.
Sec. Sustainable Organizations
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsus.2025.1628871
Perceived sustainability improves guest loyalty in the hospitality sector
Provisionally accepted
Rosa Isabel Rodrigues*
Sajeeda Dedat- Instituto Superior de Gestão, Lisbon, Portugal
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This study investigates how the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability influence guest loyalty and, in turn, guests' intention to return to the same hotel.A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 348 hotel guests, and data were analysed using structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. The results show that positive perceptions of sustainability practices significantly enhance revisit intentions, with guest loyalty acting as a key mediating variable. The three sustainability pillars exert distinct effects, highlighting the importance of a nuanced and targeted approach to sustainability in hospitality. Practical implications underscore the need for hotels to communicate their sustainable actions clearly and authentically, in order to foster emotional engagement and long-term guest relationships. This research demonstrates the strategic relevance of sustainability in building guest loyalty and promoting responsible tourism, while challenging the assumption that all sustainability dimensions are equally effective. By uncovering how different sustainability practices shape guest behaviour, this study offers both theoretical clarity and actionable guidance for hospitality managers committed to embedding sustainability in brand experience.
Keywords: sustainability, Triple bottom line, Customer loyalty, return intention, Hospitality industry
Received: 14 May 2025; Accepted: 25 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rodrigues and Dedat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Rosa Isabel Rodrigues, Instituto Superior de Gestão, Lisbon, Portugal
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