Assessment on the Environmental Concern Level and Driving Mechanism of Beach Recreationists Based on the New Ecological Paradigm Scale

Abstract

This study uses the new ecological paradigm (NEP) scale to measure the level of environmental concern among beach recreationists, innovatively constructs a model based on the measurement results to depict a group portrait, and analyzes the driving mechanism of beach recreation pro-environmental behavior. The level of environmental concern of beach tourists is 66.2%, which is slightly higher than the average level of Chinese urban residents, and is significantly correlated with age, occupation, education level, and income level. The newly constructed environmental behavior group portrait index indicates that the group that actively participates in recreational environmental behavior at Haichow Bay Beach includes college students, primary and secondary school students, retirees, and surrounding residents. Key factors in the generation of environmentally friendly behavior for beach enthusiasts include individual self-control constraints, regional ecological environment management, the improvement in environmental literacy, overcoming individualism, external environmental impacts, and environmental education.