Connecting green dots: the role of social media in sustainable tourism decision-making

Purpose This study aims to investigate how hotels’ sustainability communication on social media influences Chinese tourists’ booking intentions (the primary dependent variable), by examining the mediating roles of perceived accommodation integrity and tourist attention, and the moderating role of tourists’ environmental tolerance. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in social influence theory, the authors surveyed 432 domestic tourists across four major Chinese cities and applied structural equation modeling to assess direct, mediating and moderated mediation effects. Findings Eco-focused social media posts significantly boost booking intentions both directly and indirectly: by strengthening perceived hotel…