Not All Guests Think Alike: Attitudinal Segmentation and Perceived Value of Green Practices in Phuket’s Luxury Hotels

This study examines how Chinese tourists perceive the value of sustainable practices implemented in five-star hotels in Phuket, Thailand, through the lens of perceived value theory and the service experience framework. Although luxury hotels have increasingly adopted sustainability initiatives, limited research has explored how tourists evaluate these efforts across the full guest journey. Addressing this gap, the study investigates how functional, emotional, social, and ethical/environmental value dimensions influence guest perceptions at three distinct service stages: pre-consumption, consumption, and post-consumption. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey of 400 Chinese tourists, the research uses K-means clustering to segment respondents by sustainability attitudes, followed by multi-group structural equation modeling to compare value perceptions across clusters. Two segments emerged: Environmentally Engaged Travelers and Conventional Comfort Travelers. Results indicate that emotional value plays a dominant role during the stay, while functional value is most influential before the stay, and ethical and social value are key post-stay. Significant differences were found between the two clusters, with the environmentally engaged group showing stronger responsiveness to ethical and social cues. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of sustainability as a multidimensional and temporally dynamic value construct in luxury hospitality. Practically, the study offers actionable insights for hotel managers seeking to align sustainability initiatives with diverse tourist expectations through value-based service design and segmented communication strategies. These insights support more targeted, meaningful, and competitive sustainability integration in luxury tourism contexts.