How personality affects environmentally responsible behaviour through attitudes towards activities and environmental concern: evidence from a national park in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Environmentally responsible behaviour enables sustainable development of tourism destinations. However, there is scant empirical research on the mediating effect between personality and environmentally responsible behaviour. This study examined a behavioural model using the latent variables of personality, environmental concern, attitudes towards activities, and environmentally responsible behaviour among hikers visiting a national park in Taiwan. The analytical results from 398 questionnaires indicate personality positively and significantly affects environmental concern and attitudes towards activities. Additionally, attitudes towards activities fully mediate the relationship between personality and environmentally responsible behaviour. This study identified different mediating effects of attitudes towards activities and environmental concern. National park managers should aim to improve hikers’ attitudes towards activities to foster environmentally responsible behaviour.