The signalling effect of eco-labels in modern coastal tourism

Cerqua, A. 2017. The signalling effect of eco-labels in modern coastal tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 25 (8), pp. 1159-1180. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1257014

TitleThe signalling effect of eco-labels in modern coastal tourism
TypeJournal article
AuthorsCerqua, A.
Abstract

As the demand for environmentally sustainable tourism grows, eco-labels are becoming increasingly popular as a signal of environmental quality. However, the existence of a causal link between awarding a seaside eco-label and the increase in tourism flows is still under discussion in the literature. In this article, we gauge the signalling impact of a specific eco-label, the Blue Flag award, using detailed data on tourism flows to seaside Italian destinations during the period 2008-2012. We adopt a recent econometric modelling strategy - the synthetic control method - in shaping estimation results and testing the sensitivity and robustness of our results. We find that being awarded the Blue Flag increases the flow of domestic tourists for up to three seasons after assignment. However, we find no effect for the flow of international tourists. Investigating the mechanisms driving the results, we find that the award of a Blue Flag only positively affects the flow of domestic tourists when it is used as a driver of organisation, coordination and integrated management of the tourism supply.

KeywordsBlue Flag; Seaside eco-label; Tourism flows; Destination competitiveness; Synthetic control method
JournalJournal of Sustainable Tourism
Journal citation25 (8), pp. 1159-1180
ISSN0966-9582
Year2017
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Accepted author manuscript
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1257014
Publication dates
Published online25 Nov 2016
Published in print2017
Published25 Nov 2016

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