Green Participatory Tourism Marketing

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which sustainable tourism marketing practices influence tourist behavioral outcomes at Mediterranean destinations. Specifically, it investigates how integrating community participation, place-based authenticity, environmental signaling, and digital engagement into a unified marketing approach shapes destination brand loyalty and green word-of-mouth behavior among international tourists. Data were collected from 385 international tourists visiting Mediterranean destinations and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results reveal that all four dimensions of the proposed framework significantly predict both brand loyalty and green word-of-mouth, with authentic place narrative emerging as the strongest determinant. The model accounts for substantial variance in both outcomes, and brand loyalty is confirmed as a significant mediator between marketing practices and green word-of-mouth intentions. These findings offer destination management organizations a validated measurement instrument alongside phased, actionable recommendations for embedding sustainability into their marketing strategies.