Digital Green Hospitality: How Green Marketing and Digitalization Shape Tourist Perceptions and Eco-Friendly Hotel Booking Decisions

Growing concern for environmental sustainability has prompted the hospitality sector to adopt environmentally responsible practices that support both business performance and long-term competitiveness. This study explores the extent to which green marketing activities and digital transformation influence tourists’ perceptions and their decisions to reserve eco-friendly accommodation. Data were obtained from visitors to major tourist destinations in three provinces of Thailand through a stratified sampling technique. After screening the questionnaires, 410 usable responses were retained and examined through structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. The results indicate that green marketing, digitalization, and tourists’ perceptions play significant roles in shaping accommodation booking behavior. Together, these factors account for a substantial proportion of the variation in eco-friendly hotel booking decisions. Tourist perception was identified as the most influential determinant and served as a significant mediating mechanism through which green marketing and digitalization affected booking intentions. This study extends the sustainable hospitality literature by developing an integrated framework that explains how sustainability-oriented marketing efforts and digital technologies influence consumer decision-making. The findings provide valuable insights for hotel managers seeking to enhance green brand image, improve customer perceptions, and encourage environmentally responsible travel choices through the effective use of digital technologies.