Effects of COVID-19 pandemic areas on green hotel consumption: exploring the congruence effect between location and timing

Abstract

In the post-pandemic era, tourists are increasingly interested in sustainable consumption, particularly focusing on green hotels. Given the ongoing endemic nature of COVID-19, our research explores the effects of tourists’ residential locations, specifically pandemic-affected areas, on their intention to choose green hotels. Drawing on the Protection Motivation Theory, we discuss how and why residential location influences risk perception, which in turn motivates tourists to contribute to environmental protection by opting for green hotels. Results from five experiments suggest that the influence of pandemic areas on green hotel consumption can fluctuate over time. During the initial outbreak, a positive correlation emerges between tourists’ risk perception and their distance from the pandemic’s epicenter. Those residing in marginal areas show greater threat appraisal and stronger intentions toward choosing green hotels than tourists in central areas. However, this relationship is found to reverse during the mitigation and post-pandemic phases. Furthermore, our research reveals that hotels can significantly sway tourists toward green consumption through the strategic use of hope or fear appeals in advertising. These findings enrich the literature on pandemic-related influences on green consumption and offer practical insights for hotel managers and policymakers seeking to promote sustainable travel more effectively in the post-pandemic era.

Keywords:

• Green hotel
• green consumption
• risk perception
• hope appeal
• fear appeal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant number 71902120, 71832015, 72372040, 71962007; Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant number 622RC625, 722RC627; and Research Initiation Foundation of Hainan University under Grant number kyqd(sk)1931, kyqd(sk)1919.

Notes on contributors

Jingdan Feng

Jingdan Feng, is a PhD student of marketing in the Department of Business and Administration, International Business School, Hainan University, China. Her research interests include green consumption, consumer paychology, and social media communication. Her research has been published in Chinese and international journals, such as Journal of Product and Brand Management.

Zelin Tong

Zelin Tong, PhD, is a Professor of marketing in the Department of Business and Administration, International Business School, Hainan University, China. His research interests include green consumption, tourist behaviors, and crisis management. His research has been published in leading marketing and tourism journals, such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Marketing Review, and Journal of Product and Brand Management.

Wenting Feng

Wenting Feng, PhD, is a Professor of marketing in the Department of Business and Administration, International Business School, Hainan University, China. Her research interest includes tourist behaviors, social media word of mouth and destination marketing. Prof. Feng has published over 20 papers in leading marketing and tourism journals, such as Tourism Management, Annals of Tourism Research and Journal of Business Research.