Do Travel and Tourism Agencies in Peru Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviors on Social Media? An Empirical Analysis

Lloy Pinedo (), María-del-Carmen Fernández-Trujillo, Mariela-Stacy Solano-Lavado, Luciano Scattolon-Huapaya, Patricia Villarroel-Soto and Nicol Quinto-Lazo
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Lloy Pinedo: Semillero de Investigación Smart Business, Programa de Negocios y Comunicación en Medios Digitales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima 15067, Peru
María-del-Carmen Fernández-Trujillo: Semillero de Investigación Smart Business, Programa de Negocios y Comunicación en Medios Digitales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima 15067, Peru
Mariela-Stacy Solano-Lavado: Semillero de Investigación Smart Business, Programa de Negocios y Comunicación en Medios Digitales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima 15067, Peru
Luciano Scattolon-Huapaya: Semillero de Investigación Smart Business, Programa de Negocios y Comunicación en Medios Digitales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima 15067, Peru
Patricia Villarroel-Soto: Semillero de Investigación Smart Business, Programa de Negocios y Comunicación en Medios Digitales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima 15067, Peru
Nicol Quinto-Lazo: Semillero de Investigación Smart Business, Programa de Negocios y Comunicación en Medios Digitales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Negocios, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima 15067, Peru

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Tourism is a strategic sector for the Peruvian economy, yet it also generates negative environmental impacts, highlighting the need to foster pro-environmental behaviors. In this context, travel and tourism agencies, as intermediaries between supply and demand, play a key role in promoting sustainable practices, particularly through social media platforms. This study aimed to analyze the extent to which travel and tourism agencies in Peru promote pro-environmental behaviors in their digital publications. A quantitative approach was used, employing an observation guide to analyze social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok from a random sample of 369 agencies registered with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism between March and May 2025. The results show that although most agencies maintain an active presence on social media, primarily on Facebook and Instagram, the frequency of pro-environmental publications is low. Inferential analysis revealed no statistically significant differences among agency types, although retail agencies showed a lower probability of reaching higher levels of commitment compared to tour operators. These findings underscore the need to integrate sustainability as a cross-cutting axis in the digital strategies of the tourism sector.

Keywords: sustainable tourism; social media; travel agencies; pro-environmental behavior; digital communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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