Segmenting Hotel Guests' Behavior: Insights for Developing Effective Water Conservation Programs

Franco M. Sancho‐Esper, Ricardo Sellers‐Rubio, Ana Belen Casado‐Diaz, Fernando Campayo‐Sanchez, Carla Rodriguez‐Sanchez and Carolina Sanchez

Business Strategy and the Environment, 2025, vol. 34, issue 3, 3544-3560

Abstract: This research underscores the need to modify tourists' behaviors to ensure sustainable water usage in high‐demand destinations. In‐room water conservation of 681 hotel guests was analyzed based on habit, effort, and enjoyment theory (HEET). The analysis reveals four distinct guest clusters based on a combination of cognitive, affective, automated behavior, and consumer identity variables. Water conservation behaviors and attitudes ranged from those of “Environmentally conscious tourists,” who exhibited strong conservation efforts and low hedonic motivations, to those of “Pleasure‐seeking tourists,” who prioritized pleasure over sustainability. The segmentation analysis used the Gaussian finite mixture model for clustering, providing insights into how to tailor social marketing interventions to promote water conservation behavior among guests. This novel segmentation approach fills a gap in the literature by considering non‐cognitive and habitual behaviors. It also provides a practical framework for designing more effective environmental strategies in tourism, particularly in water‐stressed areas.

Date: 2025
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