Abstract
The rapid development of ecotourism provides a win–win path for ecological and environmental protection and sustainable economic development. However, environmental problems are increasingly prominent in ecotourism destinations, which seriously hinders their sustainable development. This study explored how environmental knowledge, environmental perceived value, perceived consumption effectiveness, and environmental attitudes stimulate and shape environmentally friendly tourist behaviors. A sample survey of 406 tourists at Taibai Mountain National Nature Reserve in China was conducted, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the causal relationships in the formation of environmentally friendly behaviors. The results show that environmental knowledge has a significant positive impact on environmental attitudes, environmental perceived value, and perceived consumption effectiveness. Further, environmental perceived value has a significant positive impact on environmental attitudes and environmentally friendly behavior; environmental attitudes and environmental behavior have a significant positive impact; environmental awareness has a significant positive impact on environmental behaviors; and perceived consumption effectiveness has a significant positive impact on environmentally friendly behaviors and is the most important direct predictor. Overall, the results reveal the formation mechanism of environmental friendly behavior, and provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for the stimulation and shaping of environmentally friendly tourist behaviors in ecotourism destinations.
Highlights
The environmental knowledge test scale refers to Haron et al [89], which is composed of three observation variables; the environmental perceived value scale refers to Sweeney et al [90], which contains three observation variables; the scale of perceived consumption effectiveness refers to Han et al [91], including nine observation variables; the environmental attitude scale adopts the new environmental paradigm scale designed by Dunlap et al [92], including three aspects of human’s views on environmental limit, ecological balance, and the relationship between human and nature, with a total of five observation variables; The Environmentally Friendly Behavior Test Scale draws lessons from Lee and Jan [93], Lee et al [94], and Xiao and Hong [95]
The data were imported into Amos 24.0 statistical software to build a measurement model, including the five potential variables and test the validity of each measurement index and the discriminant validity between the potential variables
The model show that environmental knowledge has a significant positive relationship with environmental attitude, perceived consumption effectiveness, and environmental perceived value; environmental perceived value has a significant positive relationship with environmental attitudes and environmentally friendly behavior; perceived consumption effectiveness is positively correlated with environmental attitude, but not significantly; perceived consumption effectiveness is significantly positively correlated with environmentally friendly behavior; and environmental attitude is significantly positively correlated with environmentally friendly behavior (Figure 3)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This study makes the following contributions: (1) A structural equation method is used to evaluate the formation of environmentally friendly tourist behaviors and build a theoretical basis for these behaviors; (2) given the diversity of environmental protection strategies in China encompassing strict protection, ecological utilization (including ecotourism), and parallel protection and rational utilization, this study provides valuable insights for nature reserves strictly managed for biodiversity conservation alongside small-scale ecotourism This focus is important given the potential diversity of the attitudes and behaviors of tourists visiting different types of tourism destinations [23]; and (3) the discussed findings provide valuable information for ecotourism destination managers, offering a scientific basis for stimulating environmentally. Forests 2021, 12, 424 friendly tourist behaviors and the development of effective and sustainable ecotourism management strategies
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