How do recreation experiences affect visitors’ environmentally responsible behavior? Evidence from recreationists visiting ancient trails in Taiwan

Abstract

This study examines the causal relationship between recreation experience, place attachment, environmental attitudes and environmentally responsible behavior as well as the mediating effects of place attachment and the environmental attitudes of tourists at Alangyi Ancient Trail (AAT) and Fish Road Historic Trail (FRHT) in Taiwan. A total of 1,579 usable questionnaires (563 for AAT and 1,016 for FRHT) were collected. The results showed that place attachment had a greater mediation effect than environmental attitudes between recreation experience and environmentally responsible behavior at both study sites. Recreation experience directly, positively and significantly affected both environmental attitudes and place attachment and indirectly affected environmentally responsible behavior. By attempting to develop an original ERB theoretical framework, this study expands our ERB knowledge and provides valuable managerial implications for managers of ancient trails and other nature-based tourism areas to enhance visitors’ ERB, assisting in sustainable ancient trail tourism.