Effects of COVID-19 pandemic areas on green hotel consumption: exploring the congruence effect between location and timing
研究疫情区域如何影响游客选择绿色酒店的意愿，发现风险感知随时间和地点变化，酒店可通过广告中的希望或恐惧诉求引导绿色消费。
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.