Can esports help with hospitality marketing for Generation Z? The interaction of esports, novelty seeking, and subjective knowledge

Despite the recent global rise of esports and its growing connection with the tourism and hospitality industries, few scholars have focused on this area. This study adopts an experimental approach to explore whether and how the presence of esports elements in hotels influences the consumption intention of Generation Z. The presence (vs. absence) of esports elements in hotels evokes a positive sense of coolness, innovative perception, and patronage intention among Generation Z. Moreover, the results indicate that individuals with high (vs. low) novelty-seeking traits and strong (vs. weak) subjective knowledge are more likely to have positive customer outcomes. These findings contribute to the literature on cross-domain spillover between esports and hospitality and offer practical advice for hotels seeking to attract younger generations while enhancing our understanding of marketing innovation in the hospitality industry.