How do smart tourism experiences affect visitors’ environmentally responsible behavior? Influence analysis of nature-based tourists in Taiwan

Abstract

Drawing on experiential learning cycle theory, in the present study, a theoretical framework is constructed by performing an influence analysis of smart tourism experiences regarding biospheric value and environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) among 1172 visitors at two smart tourism destinations in Taiwan, providing theoretical and practical implications for sustainable tourism perspectives. The analytical findings reveal that the constructs of aesthetic experience, ease of experience, and learning experience significantly impacted the biospheric value for visitors at the two destinations. Moreover, biospheric value significantly impacted site-specific ERB for visitors at the two destinations. The findings thus extend the application of experiential learning cycle theory, updating and extending the knowledge of smart tourism experience and ERB. It is concluded that an individual with stronger smart tourism experiences of aesthetic experience, ease experience, and learning experience will enhance his or her biospheric value, which subsequently may increase his or her site-specific ERB.