Consumersʼ Perception of Green Marketing as a Source of Competitive Advantage in the Hotel Industry

Many companies know that the essence of business success lies in a responsible approach to entrepreneurship. Smart companies therefore not only focus on financial issues and economics, but also on the environmental and social issues related to their business activities. Green marketing is a modern tool with which to adopt current environmental trends across a broad spectrum of business activities, including those of the hotel industry, and is increasingly being perceived as providing a competitive advantage. The aim of this article is to find out consumersʼ perceptions of green marketing as a source of competitive advantage in the hotel industry. It includes a literature review of both domestic and foreign sources on the issue of green marketing and its usage within the hotel industry. The main part of the article is an analysis of the principles that underly the use of green marketing in the hotel industry, which is based on the results of a questionnaire survey conducted among Slovak consumers. On the basis of the analysis, proposals are put forward for the effective implementation of these principles in the hotel industry.