The Reality of Using Ecolabelling as a Tool for Green Marketing in Tourism Companies

Document Type : Original Article

Author

High Institute of tourism and hotel management and monuments restoration

Abstract

Ecolabelling plays a direct role in raising awareness towards the importance of protecting the environment among both the locals and the tourists by linking economic and social issues to the environment. It has also become a modern tool that contributes to the marketing of tourism services as an application of the principles of green tourism marketing and as a modern mechanism to communicate with tourists. The main objective of the research is to determine the extent of using ecolabelling as a modern marketing tool by evaluating the viewpoints of managers at tourism companies (category A) to determine the extent of their effectiveness and competitiveness in marketing. The research also aims to inform, educate and support professionals and those in charge of tourism management systems towards the necessity of getting environmental certificates and applying the procedures, in addition to considering ecolabels as an essential element in customer choices when making purchasing decisions. In order to achieve the main objectives of the research, the questionnaire was designed and used to explore the opinions of a simple random sample of general managers and marketing managers at tourism companies (category A) in Alexandria regarding the use of the ecolabelling as a marketing tool, through interviews. The study concluded that it's important to apply green marketing programs in tourism companies, in addition to identifying and analyzing the obstacles that hinder their use, as it has become clear that there are deficiencies in the process of applying and activating them, as well as the importance of including a green marketing culture at the professional level to be able to apply environmental sustainability standards and create a competitive advantage for the tools of tourism marketing used in the tourism companies sector. The study ended with a set of recommendations and suggestions directed to all concerned parties to activate the mechanisms of green marketing. The study has also provided a practical model accompanied by a guide to support applying green marketing tools in Egyptian tourism companies.

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