From Green Demand to Green Skills: The Role of Consumers in Shaping Sustainable Workforce Competencies

As sustainability becomes central to tourism, tourists are no longer passive consumers but active stakeholders who influence organizational behavior. This study investigates how green consumer behavior (GCB) shapes expectations for employee green competencies and organizational sustainability strategy (OSS). Data were collected through a structured survey of 326 domestic tourists in Albania. Green skills expectation (GSE) was modeled as a latent construct derived from two observed variables: green loyalty and brand image, and willingness to support sustainability. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), K-means clustering and structural equation modeling (SEM). GCB significantly predicted both OSS and GSE, confirming that green tourists influence how organizations structure and communicate their sustainability practices. Cluster analysis identified two consumer profiles: committed eco-tourists and green-adaptive tourists. This study advances current understanding of how tourists act as external agents of internal organizational change. It extends the theoretical discourse on green marketing and sustainable workforce development by positioning tourist expectations as a driver of human resource transformation. The findings offer meaningful implications for tourism operators, educators and policymakers seeking to align employee training and service delivery with the demands of sustainability-oriented travelers. In this way, the study bridges the gap between consumer behavior and workforce development, contributing to a more integrated approach to sustainable tourism.