Sustainability in Italian dining: a comparative study of perceptions in full-service restaurants and agritourism

This study explores how sustainability is perceived and prioritized by consumers within full-service restaurants and rural agritourism settings in Italy, examining the socio-cultural and economic role of the HoReCa sector in promoting sustainable practices and analyzing gender and generational differences in consumer behavior. The research, based on a questionnaire, investigates whether full-service and rural dining formats are evaluated similarly regarding sustainable practices, analyzing consumer preferences, activities, and sustainability practices across different restaurant typologies while examining the relationship between stated sustainability values and willingness to pay price premiums. The analysis shows differences in sustainability perceptions, with consumer preferences closely tied to restaurant typology rather than solely demographic characteristics. A complex relationship emerges between stated sustainability values and actual willingness to pay, particularly among Generation Z consumers where convenience may override sustainability preferences. Moreover, geographical considerations and physical accessibility also emerge as critical factors influencing consumer choices. Finally, this study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable consumer behavior by demonstrating that sustainability perceptions are fundamentally linked to restaurant typology rather than consumer characteristics, challenging prevailing assumptions about gender-based differences in sustainability preferences and highlighting the need for expanded theoretical models that better incorporate situational factors and the attitude-behavior gap in dining contexts.