The green paradox: when greenwashing erodes trust in sustainable hotels

Purpose This research aims to address the issue of consumer trust in hotel greenwashing and the aspects of green transparency and green authenticity as offered by green trust theory. There is a need to examine the influence of greenwashing on consumer behaviour to cultivate and retain attitudinal loyalty. Design/methodology/approach This study used partial least squares structural equation modelling to collect data from a sample of 420 customers comprising guests residing in four- and five-star Omani hotels. Findings This study suggests that consumers view greenwashing as an aggravating factor affecting the level of their green trust, even more so where there is no transparency and no such thing as authenticity present. When green transparency and authenticity are present, they act as important moderators that help decrease the negative effect of greenwashing on consumer trust when present at moderate or high levels. Practical implications Hotel management should re-evaluate its communication approach and develop a comprehensive strategy that effectively communicates all its sustainability projects. This includes providing regular updates and status reports, including the progress made on the activities and awards gained from external sources. For crafting and implementing these strategies into social networking sites, the organisation’s website and brochures within their premises are important for ensuring their message gets out and reiterating the hotel’s green vision. Originality/value This study introduces a novel framework by applying green trust theory. This framework presents an elaborate approach to determine the culmination of trust towards luxury hotels based on consumers’ thoughts on environmental practices by those hotels.