From knowledge to action: pathways to environmentally responsible behavior in eco-tourism destinations
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Abstract
While tourists are drawn to eco-destinations for their scenic landscapes, recreational opportunities, and close interaction with nature, visitor-related environmental degradation has become increasingly unavoidable. Environmentally responsible behavior thus becomes essential for preserving these sites. This study proposes that visitors are more likely to engage in environmentally responsible behavior when they believe their actions will be positively reinforced through increased environmental knowledge or visible demonstrations of social responsibility at the destination. In this study, environmental knowledge is hypothesized to influence environmentally responsible behavior and destination social responsibility mediates this relationship. A total of 432 valid responses were collected from survey questionnaires, and SmartPLS was used to test the proposed hypothesis. The findings from this study revealed that environmental knowledge has a positive influence on destination social responsibility and environmental responsibility behavior. Destination social responsibility positively influences environmental responsibility behavior and mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental responsibility behavior. The results implied that awareness programs can cultivate a broader sense of ecological responsibility. It is expected that eco-destinations committed to sustainability initiatives encourage better visitor adherence to environmental norms while preserving the destination's ecological integrity.
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