In the context of climate change and all other harmful effects of pollution, companies should improve their environmental performances. As part of their strategies, companies should explore the consequences of their environmental practices from the perspective of internal stakeholders and must be more attentive to employee environmental behavior. This study’s purpose was to identify the motives that encourage the employees of a green hotel to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. Qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews among three-star hotel employees from Brașov, Romania. This research uses the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) theory that could lead to a better understanding of employee green behavior. Data analysis revealed that less than half of the respondents have a proper understanding of the concept of environment and only a third of them are aware of the harmful effects caused by people, both at work and at home. Moreover, most of the respondents know little of the measures implemented by the hotel in order to reduce resource consumption, the extrinsic motivation being dominant. Consequently, the results lead to the recommendation that the hotel managerial team should invest in the employees’ training and motivation, creating a corporate environment and a proper organizational culture to develop green behaviors among the employees. The results of this study should be a starting point for those hotels, which face the challenge of involving their employees in the process of greening their activity.

An important driver of socio-economic development in mountain areas is sustainable tourism. Young entrepreneurs can represent a solution for the sustainable development of the mountain area. However, little is known if an opportunity or necessity drives them to engage in sustainable tourism business in the mountain area. The present study uses the motivation–ability–opportunity (MAO) framework in an effort to understand young entrepreneurs’ sustainable behavior. Semi-structured interviews with young tourism entrepreneurs in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains (n = 21) showcase why young business owners are motivated to engage in sustainable behaviors, how they make the sustainable outcome happen, and what is entrepreneurs’ perception on the opportunities that allow them to do sustainable business. This paper brings new perspectives presenting the perception of young entrepreneurs regarding the opportunities provided by natural resources in the mountain area for the sustainable development of the tourism business. The results reveal that intrinsic motivation is dominant, sustainable business development being considered an extension of personal lifestyle by most of the study participants. All respondents stated that they have knowledge about alternative energy sources, and they want to use them as much as possible in their business. Most respondents have the managerial capability to integrate the specifics of the area in the offers and to use the natural resources and infrastructure to business advantage. The use of technologies that help save resources is considered an opportunity to build a sustainable business by all study respondents, followed by facilities offered by the local community. The findings may be used by governments and other stakeholders to make key decisions that stimulate sustainable forms of entrepreneurship in the mountain area.

Monitoring satisfaction levels among visitors presents an important challenge in ecotourism destinations, as it can provide useful information for tourism planning and management. The purposes of this study are (i) to identify the attribute-level satisfaction factors in the context of four ecotourism destinations from Romania, (ii) to investigate whether segments with different purposes for visiting reported different levels of satisfaction, (iii) to examine if the analyzed ecotourism destinations recorded different levels of satisfaction, and (iv) to determine if the attribute-level satisfaction factors and visitors’ profiles influence the intention to revisit ecotourism destinations. The research data were collected using a survey among 1157 visitors in the analyzed destinations. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was computed and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted in order to determine whether significant differences in satisfaction existed across segments and across destinations. The research findings indicate three attribute-level satisfaction factors ((i) attractions and information services, (ii) amenities, (iii) conservation of natural and cultural heritage). Subsequent results revealed significant differences across visitor segments for two out of the three attribute-level satisfaction factors and across the four analyzed ecotourism destinations regarding all satisfaction factors. Furthermore, there were significant differences across visitor segments concerning the intention to revisit, however, influence of satisfaction factors on the intention to revisit the ecotourism destinations was found to be poor. The present study provides a contribution to the body of knowledge in ecotourism destination management and marketing by improving the understanding of relationships among visitors’ profile, satisfaction levels, and revisiting intention.

Visitors’ increasing interest in nature-based and cultural tourism, especially in the context of ecotourism destinations, has generated a heated debate in tourism literature. Some authors consider that ecotourism should be approached through a niche strategy rather than through mass marketing. Therefore, identifying the main characteristics of visitors to ecotourism destinations is very important in setting management and marketing strategies adapted to their specific needs. The present paper aims to identify the profile of visitors to Romanian ecotourism destinations, considering the ecotourism potential of this country and the scarcity of empirical studies on these types of destinations. To reach this aim, a survey was conducted in four Romanian ecotourism destinations. By computing the data collected from a sample of 1157 visitors, four visitor segments have been identified based on a single characteristic (visit purpose). Crosstabulation and Chi-square analysis were used in order to identify the profiles of these segments. The results reveal that most of respondents are nature travellers, followed by culture travellers. The findings may be used by ecotourism destination managers in order to target specific market segments and establish proper management and marketing strategies.

Small accommodation businesses such as agritourism boarding houses (ATBHs) provide a large share of accommodating capacity in certain rural destinations. Despite their small accommodation capacity, ATBHs consume substantial quantities of water and energy; this consumption implies high environmental costs. The present study aims to explore opinions of ATBH owner-managers regarding water and energy consumption in their businesses, what motivates them to adopt environmental practices, and the specific saving measures used within the tourist accommodation units they manage. A qualitative research was conducted, using semi-structured interviews among 12 Romanian ATBH owner-managers. Data analysis revealed that the interviewed owner-managers understand the importance of natural resource conservation in tourist destinations but they are not willing or have insufficient financial, time, organizational resources, etc. to engage in serious water and energy saving initiatives. Moreover, most interviewed managers indicated that tourists cannot make a significant contribution to natural resources conservation in accommodation units and perceive water and energy saving systems as more effective than the environmental education of visitors in their facility. These findings may be useful to tourism policy-makers and environmental organizations in order to develop effective environmental strategies in ATBHs.

Generation Z, known for its digital fluency and distinct consumer behaviors, is an increasingly influential demographic in the tourism industry. As a sustainability-focused generation, their preferences and behaviors are shaping the future of travel. This study explores the tourism experiences of Romanian Generation Z members, focusing on their travel patterns, motivations, information sources, and service preferences. A bibliometric analysis of the existing literature was conducted to identify research trends and gaps in understanding Generation Z’s tourism behaviors. Using a mixed-method approach, the study integrates survey data from 399 respondents with AI-generated insights from ChatGPT 4o mini to compare traditional research methods with AI-driven analysis. It examines how AI interprets and predicts travel behaviors, highlighting the reliability and biases inherent in AI models. Key discrepancies between the two methods were found: The survey indicated a preference for car travel and commercial accommodation, while AI predictions favored air travel and private accommodation. Additionally, AI emphasized a growing interest in eco-friendly transportation and connections to natural and cultural environments, offering a broader scope than the survey alone. Both methods revealed a trend toward digital platforms for travel planning, moving away from traditional agencies. The findings suggest that AI can complement traditional research by providing actionable insights, though its limitations emphasize the need for a balanced integration of both methods. This study offers new perspectives on Generation Z’s tourism experiences.