Dr Pablo Pereira-Doel


Director of Undergraduate Hospitality Programmes; Human Insight Lab co-director; Sustainability fellow and Water programme co-lead at the Institute for Sustainability; Visiting Fellow, Center for Tourism Research at Wakayama University (Japan)
PgCert, MSc, PhD
+441483686714
50 AP 02
By appointment, please email me

About

Areas of specialism

Sustainability-oriented technology and innovation; Pro-environmental behaviour; Persuasive communication; Behavioural change; Experimental research methods; Water conservation; Systems/services/products design; Biometric technology (eye tracking, galvanic skin response, facial expression analysis)); Open research

University roles and responsibilities

  • Human Insight Lab co-director
  • FABSS representative Open Research Working Group

    Affiliations and memberships

    FHEA
    Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
    MIH
    Member of the Institute of Hospitality
    Associate Institute of Water
    Associate Institute of Water
    IWA Member
    Member of the International Water Association

    News

    Research

    Research projects

    Supervision

    Postgraduate research supervision

    Teaching

    Publications

    Pablo Pereira-Doel (2016) Engaging customers through sustainability communications in small tourism accommodation websites

    The research builds for the first time on the boundaries between two sets of literature. First, the motivations of small tourism accommodation providers for acting sustainably. Secondly, how such providers should communicate sustainability to the market. This study examines the reasons why six small tourism accommodations engage in sustainability practices and how that is reflected on their websites. The study (1) exposes three motivations to act sustainably; (2) reflects on some of the challenges encountered when communicating sustainability; and (3) reflects on how the six businesses use persuasion communicating their sustainability practices. This paper highlights the importance of the message, which needs to be credible, customer-focused and persuasive to be effective. All three aspects score low in the businesses analysed, demonstrating a missed opportunity of using sustainability communications to enhance the quality of the product, improve the customer experience, secure marketing advantage and contribute to repeats and referrals.

    Pablo Pereira-Doel, Xavier Font, Kayleigh Wyles, Jorge Pereira-Moliner (2019) Showering Smartly. A Field Experiment Using Water-saving Technology to Foster Pro-environmental Behaviour among Hotel Guests

    Hotel guests’ behaviour is crucial to reduce water depletion, energy use and carbon emissions. In this covert field experiment we assessed the effectiveness of real-time feedback provided by smart water-saving technology in fostering hotel guests to shorten their showers. A 12,06% reduction in showering time (N=1,962) confirms that real-time feedback is effective in eliciting pro-environmental behaviour, even in hedonic contexts. Moreover, results suggest that even with no real-time feedback, the regular shower in a hotel may be shorter than at home. Tourism can be a force for good and the use of technology can shape pro-environmental behaviour among the public.

    Pablo Pereira-Doel, James Daly, & Ian Walker (2024) Beyond the water flow rate: Water pressure and smart timers impact shower efficiency

    England is projected to face a water supply shortfall of 4 billion litres daily by 2050, mostly due to population growth and increasing climate-driven droughts and flooding. The Environment Act 2021 mandates significant water usage reductions, targeting a decrease for households from the current 144 litres per person/day to 110, and a 15% reduction for businesses. Enhancing water efficiency in showers is crucial, given their high water consumption, energy use and associated carbon emissions.

    Pablo Pereira-Doel, Xavier Font, Kayleigh Wyles, Jorge Pereira-Moliner (2024) Reducing Shower Duration in Tourist Accommodations: A Covert True Experiment of Continuous Real-Time Eco-Feedback and Persuasive Messaging

    This study inductively applies the Feedback Intervention Theory by empirically demonstrating the effectiveness of continuous, real-time eco-feedback and its interaction with motivational factors in modifying showering behavior. We conducted a covert true experiment across six tourist accommodations in Denmark, Spain, and the UK, where we deployed smart technology, in the form of a timer to provide the eco-feedback, coupled with persuasive messages. Data from over 17,500 showers showed that continuous, real-time eco-feedback reduced water runtime by 25.79% (CI = 8.24%; 39.98%). When the eco-feedback was paired with the most effective message—priming pro-environmental values and requiring a high effort to comply—water runtime was reduced by 23.55% (CI = 17.53%; 29.13%). The study’s robust experimental design, and its emphasis on actual behavior measurement, highlight the potential of smart technology to facilitate resource conservation.