Building Visitor Loyalty through Green Marketing and Destination Image in Jakarta’s Sustainable Urban Tourism

Abstract

This study examines how Green Marketing is associated with Visitor Loyalty in sustainable urban tourism by exploring how tourists interpret sustainability efforts through destination perceptions. Using survey data from 200 tourists who visited sustainable urban tourism sites in Jakarta within the past 12 months, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test both mediation and moderation effects in the proposed model. The findings indicate that Green Marketing is positively associated with Destination Image, which in turn strongly relates to Visitor Loyalty. However, Green Marketing does not have a significant direct relationship with Visitor Loyalty, suggesting that its influence operates primarily through the development of destination perceptions rather than through direct promotional exposure. These results confirm the mediating role of Destination Image in the relationship between Green Marketing and Visitor Loyalty. In addition, Green Marketing moderates the relationship between Destination Image and Visitor Loyalty, indicating that the strength of this relationship varies depending on the level of Green Marketing. These findings are particularly relevant in the context of Jakarta’s urban tourism development, where sustainability initiatives are increasingly promoted while visitor perceptions remain diverse and fragmented. The results suggest that in emerging urban destinations, the effectiveness of Green Marketing depends not only on promotional visibility but also on the credibility of sustainability meanings embedded in the destination experience. Accordingly, visitor loyalty is more likely to develop when sustainability initiatives are integrated into tangible experiences and a coherent destination identity rather than communicated solely through promotional green claims.