Green Hotels and Loyal Guests: The CSR Effect in Poland’s Tourism Sector

Abstract

While the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and consumer behavior has gained increased interest in the hotel industry over the years, some of its nuanced effects remain insufficiently explored, especially in a post-pandemic world. Thus, the objective of this study is to assess how environmental CSR and social CSR activities influence consumer responses, namely customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the hotel industry. The questionnaire was distributed online through a professional research agency. The data were gathered from 560 respondents who spent their holidays in Poland in hotels that implemented socially responsible activities. PLS-SEM was used for data analysis. The findings reveal both direct and indirect relationships among key constructs, highlighting significant positive effects of environmental CSR and social CSR on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Additionally, customer satisfaction has a positive effect on customer loyalty and acts as a mediator, linking environmental CSR, social CSR, and customer loyalty. Thus, the pivotal role of customer satisfaction in converting CSR activities into customer loyalty is highlighted. This study offers new insights into how CSR affects customers' perceptions and sheds new light on its role in promoting customer loyalty. The study also offers theoretical and practical implications.