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Title: Hotel interns' career choice intentions from a high-versus-low climate changing region background

Authors: Feifei Yu; Lu Liu; Zhongming Zuo

Addresses: School of Tourism, History and Culture, Chizhou University, Chizhou, 247000, Anhui, China ' Department of International Trade, Namseoul University, Cheonan, 31020, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea ' School of Tourism, History and Culture, Chizhou University, Chizhou, 247000, Anhui, China

Abstract: The hotel industry's reliance on a stable labour force is threatened by low career choice intentions among graduates, exacerbated by occupational stigmatisation. This study situates the talent challenges of the hotel industry within China's high versus low climate changing region context, where occupational prestige biases linked to the high low climate change dichotomy compound preexisting stigma, particularly undermining the professional identity of graduates from high climate changing regions - a critical talent pool. Analysis of data from 314 Chinese hotel interns using structural equation modelling revealed that perceived occupational stigma negatively affects both vocational identity and career choice intention. These findings contribute to understanding how future talent perceives and responds to occupational stigma, offering theoretical and practical insights for hospitality education and talent retention, particularly within evolving labour dynamics between high- and low-climate changing regions.

Keywords: occupational stigma; vocational identity; vocational skill; career choice intention; climate changing regions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2026.155727

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2026 Vol.25 No.7, pp.64 - 83

Received: 27 Apr 2026
Accepted: 29 Jun 2026
Published online: 11 Aug 2026 *