Technology‐Enabled Sustainability: Behavior‐Based Carbon Footprint Levy in Hotels

The paper explores the predisposition of domestic and international urban tourists of Athens, Greece, to pay an app‐calculated green levy based on the carbon footprint (CF) of their hotel stay. The study employs fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the complex configurations between the effects of the sustainable hotel profile, disposable income for tourism, digital literacy, knowledge around CF, and environmental behavior during hotel stay on guests' willingness to pay for the technology‐calculated green levy appropriated to their individual behavior. fsQCA produced three sufficient pathways, namely, pragmatistic, environmental conscious, and opportunistic, as plausible customer profiles. Findings are compared against other dominant correlational modes of analysis to highlight the underlying complexity of tourist behavior and hence the need for the application for non‐parametric methods of analysis. The theoretical contribution of the paper lies in the integration of the concepts of digital literacy, environmental awareness, and behavior‐based levies. Technology‐enabled and self‐controlled tools can support transparent and appropriated green levies and promote ownership of carbon offsetting in the hospitality industry.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2641