The tourism industry is one of the largest and fast-growing sectors that significantly boost global

economic development, contributing 10.4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) ( Gupta et al.,
2019 , Merli et al., 2019 ). Nonetheless, such development is usually accompanied by
unsustainable consumption practices, threatening natural resources and ecosystems ( Trang et
al., 2019 ). Furthermore, the tourism industry has become more freshwater, energy, food, and
land-intensive, while tourism’s use of resources is predicted to double within the next 25–45
years ( Gössling and Peeters, 2015 ). Hence, the tourism industry should be more environmentally
sustainable to ensure long-term growth and global community prosperity ( Peng et al., 2020 ,
Yadav et al., 2019 ). Specifically, the main aspects in achieving the objectives are to increase
sustainable tourist behaviour and sustainable tourism supply ( Han et al., 2019 ). Supply-side
approaches that increase efficiencies, such as biofuel, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient
lighting systems, are inadequate due to fast-growing demand and efficiency gains to increase
comfort, which increase overall tourism-related emissions ( Gössling et al., 2010 ). For instance,
although air transport has become more efficient than before and produces less carbon, carbon
production has increased due to rapid growth in travel distances and passenger numbers.
Therefore, hospitality researchers and practitioners have shifted their focus to increasing tourists’
sustainable behaviour ( Juvan and Dolnicar, 2017 , Han et al., 2019 ).

Over the past decade, the hospitality and tourism sector has become increasingly concerned
about its impact on the environment ( Han et al., 2010 ; Choi et al., 2015 ; Goncalves et al.,
2016 ). Green practices have attracted much attraction among the hotel operators because of the
increased awareness and interest among the travelers to purchase environmentally friendly
products and services. Specifically, many hotels are investing substantial resources in
environmental-friendly practices such as reducing waste, minimizing energy consumption, low-
flow faucets and shower heads, choosing green suppliers, and adopting recycling practices. For
example, Hilton Hotels pledged to preserve the environment through efficient operations and
partnerships across the entire value chain ( Hilton Worldwide, 2016 ). \ Despite increasing
evidence of the adoption of green practices in the hotel sector, researchers have paid little
attention to identifying the determinants of green hotels choice among travelers.

Previous studies have shown that the majority of research on green hotel visitation intentions
and eco-friendly purchasing behaviors has been conducted in Western nations such as the United
States and Turkey. In contrast, there is a scarcity of research focused on Asian countries; only a
few studies (Hasan et al., 2020) have explored tourism customers' intentions to visit green hotels.
Furthermore, investigations into consumers' behavior regarding green hotel visits remain at an
early stage, with insufficient literature reviews and a lack of cohesive empirical frameworks
(Wang et al., 2018).
this research intends to bridge the relationship between green service encounters and
environmental knowledge, and green hotel purchase intention through designing a crucial model
to integrate customers' pro-environmental attitude toward green hotel choice in the context of
CHINA. This study also has encompassed the mediating impact of green trust to check its
relationship with perceived environmental knowledge and GSE in choosing green hotels and this
paper also proposes a higher-order framework for green service encounter (GSE), referred to as
elements that serve as physical evidence to eco-friendliness claims, as well as evaluate their
impact on consumer trust and re-patronage intention. Through rigorous qualitative and empirical
research, three dimensions of a green hotel service, namely ambience, design and social (Gupta,
Dash and Mishra,2019). each with two sub-dimensions, are offered as components of GSE. The
higher-level knowledge structure about GSE, as well as specific service elements embedded in it,
is an important contribution to green services and ethics literature

The tourism sector ranks among the largest and rapidly expanding industries, playing a crucial
role in enhancing global economic growth by contributing 10.4% to the worldwide gross
domestic product (GDP) (Gupta et al., 2019; Merli et al., 2019). However, this growth often leads
to unsustainable consumption patterns that jeopardize natural resources and ecosystems (Trang
et al., 2019). Additionally, the industry has become increasingly reliant on freshwater, energy,
food, and land resources, with projections indicating that resource usage in tourism could double
over the next 25 to 45 years (Gössling and Peeters, 2015). Therefore, it is essential for the tourism
sector to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices to secure long-term development
and benefit global communities (Peng et al., 2020; Yadav et al., 2019). Key strategies include
promoting sustainable tourist behaviors and enhancing sustainable tourism supply chains (Han et
al., 2019). Supply-side solutions aimed at improving efficiency—such as biofuels, electric vehicles,
and energy-efficient lighting—are insufficient due to rising demand coupled with comfort-driven
efficiency improvements that elevate overall emissions related to tourism activities (Gössling et
al., 2010). For example, while air travel has seen enhancements in efficiency leading to lower
carbon outputs per trip, total carbon emissions have risen because of increased travel distances
and passenger volumes. Consequently, researchers and practitioners within hospitality are now
focusing on fostering more sustainable behaviors among tourists (Juvan and Dolnicar, 2017; Han
et al., 2019).
In recent years, there has been growing concern within the hospitality and tourism sectors
regarding their environmental impact (Han et al., 2010; Choi et al., 2015; Goncalves et al., 2016).
Green initiatives have gained significant attention from hotel operators due to heightened
awareness among travelers about eco-friendly products and services. Many hotels are dedicating
considerable resources towards implementing environmentally responsible practices such as
waste reduction efforts, lowering energy use through low-flow fixtures or choosing green
suppliers while adopting recycling measures. For instance, Hilton Hotels committed itself to
environmental preservation through efficient operations along its entire value chain (Hilton
Worldwide , 2016 ). Despite an increase in evidence supporting green practices within hotels ,
there remains a lack of research focused on understanding what drives travelers' choices for
green accommodations.

Previous studies have shown that the majority of research on green hotel visitation intentions
and eco-friendly purchasing behaviors has been conducted in Western nations such as the United
States and Turkey. In contrast, there is a scarcity of research focused on Asian countries; only a
few studies (Hasan et al., 2020) have explored tourism customers' intentions to visit green hotels.
Furthermore, investigations into consumers' behavior regarding green hotel visits remain at an
early stage, with insufficient literature reviews and a lack of cohesive empirical frameworks
(Wang et al., 2018).
This study aims to connect green service encounters with environmental knowledge and the
intention to purchase green hotels by developing a key model that incorporates customers' pro-
environmental attitudes towards selecting green accommodations in China. Additionally, it
examines the mediating role of green trust in relation to perceived environmental knowledge and
green service encounters (GSE) when opting for eco-friendly hotels. The paper also introduces an
advanced framework for GSE, which includes elements that provide tangible evidence supporting
eco-friendliness claims, while assessing their influence on consumer trust and Green Hotel
purcahse intentions. Through comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research, three aspects
of green hotel services—ambience, design, and social factors (Gupta, Dash & Mishra, 2019)—are
identified as components of GSE, each comprising two sub-dimensions. This higher-level
understanding of GSE along with its specific service elements represents a significant
contribution to the literature on green services and ethics.