The Temporal Spillover Effect of Green Attribute Changes on Eco-Hotel Location Scores: The Moderating Role of Consumer Environmental Involvement

This study focuses on a profound paradox in eco-hotel evaluations: why do consumer ratings for location, a static asset, exhibit dynamic fluctuations? To solve this puzzle, we construct a two-stage signal-processing theoretical framework that integrates Signaling Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). This framework posits that the dynamic trajectory of a hotel’s green attributes (encompassing eco-facilities, sustainable practices, and ecological experiences) constitutes a high-fidelity market signal about its underlying quality. We utilized natural language processing techniques (Word2Vec and LSA) to conduct a longitudinal analysis of over 60,000 real consumer reviews from Booking.com between 2020 and 2023. This study confirms that continuous improvements in green attributes result in significant positive spillovers to location scores, while any degradation triggers strong negative spillovers. More critically, consumer environmental involvement (CEI) acts as an amplifier in this process, with high-involvement consumers reacting more intensely to both types of signals. The research further uncovers complex non-linear threshold characteristics in the spillover effect, subverting traditional linear management thinking. These findings not only provide a dynamic and psychologically deep theoretical explanation for sustainable consumption behavior but also offer forward-thinking practical implications for hoteliers on how to strategically manage dynamic signals to maximize brand value.