Sustainable Destination Management in Luxury Tourism: Balancing Economic Development and Environmental Responsibility (2025)
- The Aljebari
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Article Summary
This study explores whether sustainable destination management can improve perceived luxury service quality by guests. Completed in Northern Cyprus, the authors focused on tourists visiting luxury-level hotels and resorts in this emerging tourism destination.
They examined how sustainable destination management influences 2 things:
Perceived environmental responsibility
Perceived luxury service quality
They also consider whether the tourists own environmental awareness affects these relationships
Key Findings
541 international tourists who visited Northern Cyprus participated in the survey ranging from ages 18-45+ of various education levels and travel experiences. The authors found the following:
Sustainable destination management positively impacts perceived luxury service quality
Sustainable destination management also significantly increases percieved environmental responsibility
Perceived environmental responsibility itself has a positive effect on percieved luxury service quality
There is a partial mediation effect: part of the reason sustainable destination management boosts luxury-service perception is because it makes visitors feel the place is environmentally responsible
Tourists' environmental awareness also affects perceived luxury service quality but in a more nuanced way. While higher awareness correlates with higher perceived service quality overall, it negatively moderates the link between perceived environmental responsibility and perceived luxury service quality
What can be learnt from this paper
A destination that manages sustainability well can actually enhance the sense of luxury rather than diminish it. When investments go into sustainable infrastructure, efficient waste management, and responsible operations, the impact is not only ethical but also improves guest satisfaction and perceived service quality. Many travellers who value sustainability now view it as an integral part of luxury itself. For emerging destinations in the GCC, embedding sustainability from the very beginning; while developing high-end tourism infrastructure, can help create a distinctive, competitive, and responsible luxury tourism brand.