Color and naturalness: How color saturation shapes tourists' perception and purchase intention

Abstract

Many tourist destinations and hospitality companies are using the idea of “naturalness” to attract consumers in the post-pandemic era. The current research explores the impact of color, a fundamental element in tourism marketing materials, on shaping tourists' perceptions of naturalness and subsequent purchase intention. Through three experimental studies, our research reveals a lay belief that associates color saturation with naturalness perception. While prior research has indicated that highly saturated colors can positively impact consumers, our findings suggest that this effect may not always hold. Specifically, low color saturation in tourism marketing materials increased tourists' perceptions of naturalness and purchase intentions. These findings contribute to the theoretical development of color psychology and support the development of sustainable tourism and hospitality practices that prioritize managing natural resources.