An exploratory study on environmental knowledge and visit intention to green hotels in China

: perception from Generation Z

Abstract

Green hotel consumption in China has developed alongside the dual-carbon agenda and the green transition in accommodation. Lower environmental impact is expected in hotel operations, while consumer acceptance remains necessary. Although Chinese Generation Z has growing influence and frequent exposure to environmental messages, how environmental knowledge informs this cohort’s assessment of green hotel stays remains insufficiently explained. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, this thesis examines green hotel visit intention as an exchange evaluation of perceived green benefits and costs at different levels of green trust.

Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the study combined survey data from 622 Chinese Generation Z consumers, analysed in SPSS and SmartPLS4, with thematic analysis of 17 interviews. Environmental knowledge has a positive direct effect on visit intention and works indirectly through benefit and cost evaluation. It increases perceived functional, emotional, social and epistemic benefits and reduces perceived monetary and non-monetary costs.

Functional and emotional benefits increase intention and mediate the effect of environmental knowledge. Intention is stronger when green practices are understood as supporting efficiency, circular resource use and healthier conditions, and when linked to moral satisfaction, self-identification and relaxation. Social and epistemic benefits are recognised through social image, social connection, curiosity, novelty seeking and learning, but remain secondary to hotel choice criteria. Monetary and non-monetary costs reduce intention and mediate the influence of environmental knowledge. Green trust attenuates negative cost effects by increasing confidence in green claims and making higher prices and service changes more acceptable when linked to genuine environmental practice.

The thesis develops and empirically tests an adapted framework grounded in Social Exchange Theory for explaining green hotel visit intention among Chinese Generation Z consumers. It positions environmental knowledge as a cognitive antecedent to benefit and cost evaluation, with implications for marketing communication, pricing, service design and substantiating green claims.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Canterbury Christ Church University