Greenwashing Versus Genuine Sustainability: Consumer Trust in Eco-Tourism

Abstract

The expansion of eco-tourism has been accompanied by growing concerns about greenwashing—the practice of making misleading environmental claims to attract sustainability-minded travellers. This study examines how perceived greenwashing and perceived genuine sustainability influence green trust, green scepticism, and repurchase intention among eco-tourists, with environmental knowledge serving as a moderating variable. An online survey was administered to 420 tourists who had visited eco-tourism destinations in Costa Rica, Thailand, or Kenya within the previous twelve months. Partial least squares structural equation modelling revealed that perceived greenwashing significantly increased green scepticism (β = .52, p < .001), which in turn reduced repurchase intention (β = −.31, p < .001). Conversely, perceived genuine sustainability strengthened green trust (β = .48, p < .001), which positively predicted repurchase intention (β = .44, p < .001). Environmental knowledge moderated the trust–repurchase relationship, with knowledgeable tourists exhibiting stronger loyalty when they perceived authenticity. The findings carry implications for destination marketing organisations, eco-certification bodies, and tourism operators seeking to differentiate genuine environmental commitments from superficial green claims.