Promoting sustainable hospitality: examining the impact of voice assistant recommendations on customer engagement in pre-travel decision-making: moderating effects of use purpose and cultural orientation

Voice assistants (VAs) are increasingly used to offer hospitality recommendations to guests, but few studies have examined their role in promoting sustainable hospitality practices. This study examines the impact of environmental sustainability-related content on user engagement with VAs and the adoption of their recommendations during the “pre-travel” stage. An online scenario-based experiment and a lab-based experiment revealed that incorporating sustainability content into VA recommendations boosts engagement and increases the likelihood of adopting sustainable VA recommendations. The findings also demonstrate the interaction effects of cultural orientations on engagement, depending on whether the purpose of VA use is transactional or non-transactional. This study advances the hospitality marketing and technology management literature by incorporating self-affirmation theory into VA adoption and illustrating how sustainability-focused content from VAs can enhance engagement and shape decision-making. It also provides marketers with insights for promoting sustainable hotel practices and positioning sustainability as a compelling value proposition.