Investigating the Innovation Resistance and The Barriers to Adopt Sustainable Accommodations by Undergraduates in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In recent years, environmental sustainability has been raised as a global concern (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, n.d.; Franzen & Bahr, 2024; World Economic Forum, 2024) influencing various industries' practices, including hospitality and tourism. Likewise, Cambodia is also experiencing negative impacts in its presence of its rapid economic development (Confluences, 2023).

Existing studies explored influential factors to adopt sustainable tourism (e.g. Agag, 2019; Agag & Colmekcioglu, 2020) and some explored the reluctancy to purchase green products (e.g. Sang et al., 2022). However, the gaps in those research falls in the lack of exploration on sustainable accommodations adoption barriers among undergraduates in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the barriers that negatively impact the relationship between adoption and green accommodations among undergraduates in Phnom Penh. It will explore how consumers’ perceptions influence their intention to stay at an ecological lodging and subsequently their actual purchasing behaviour. This study, then, seeks to explain reasons behind consumers’ intention not to visit or revisit green accommodations (T. M. et al., 2021).

A focus group discussion among 8 participants with similar traveling pattern is employed to gain deeper understanding of their perspectives on social issues (O.Nyumba et al., 2018), specifically those who lack the adoption of green accommodations. Convenient sampling is used to select undergraduates. The second phase of the data collection will be conducted by survey forms, to gain a wider broad of undergraduates from different universities across this urban area, Phnom Penh. This study will be applying the Theory of Innovation Resistance (IRT), introduced by Ram & Sheth (1989), that is used to explain why consumers take time to adopt new ideas despite the advantages they present. The study aims to investigate two main barriers, which are Functional barriers (usage, value, and risk) and psychological barriers (image, and tradition).

The study expands the scope of Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) to sustainable accommodation, contributes to understanding those barriers that hinder youth’s adoption of eco-friendly lodges. Moreover, it provides practical marketing strategies, and offers recommendations to address those barriers and promotes green tourism. Lastly, the findings encourage government agencies, and educators to work alongside each other in making sustainability a preferred and accessible choice for young travellers in Cambodia. In the immediate future, the findings of this study can guide the marketing strategy, awareness programs, eco-friendly campaigns for sustainable accommodations.