Tourism | 2026
Authors: Vlahovic-Mlakar T.S.; Ozretic-Dosen D.
DOI: 10.37741/t.74.1.11
Journal: Tourism
Year: 2026
Publisher: Institute for Tourism
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
The research note elaborates on the role of green marketing in creating the hotel brand experience (HBE). It aims to reduce the gap in understanding how hotel brand managers stage green encounters within the brand experience and what they believe drives negative vs. positive guest experiences when exposed to specific green marketing initiatives. The theoretical background is followed by the presentation of results from qualitative research conducted with managers in Croatia's leading four-and five-star hotel chains and standalone hotels. Hotel managers consider green marketing a crucial driver for success and long-term survival. Despite a shared belief that delivering a superior experience is a priority, green initiatives are often chosen primarily on the basis of implementation costs. Encounters in which guests are presented with higher investments by the hotel lead to more positive brand experiences. Although hotel managers believe that affective experiences are the most important, they are particularly interested in evoking cognitive experiences through green marketing messages. Therefore, further research should focus on identifying ways to evoke an affective brand experience. © 2026 The Author(s).
green marketing; hotel brand; hotel brand experience (HBE)