Impact of perceived environmental restorativeness on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior: Examining the mediation of place attachment and the moderation of ecocentrism

Abstract

Guided by attention restoration theory and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory, we developed an integrated model to investigate the impact of perceived environmental restoration on forest park visitors' pro-environmental behavior through the mediation of place attachment. We further tested the moderating role of eco-centrism to provide theoretical and practical implications for the sustainability of tourism destinations and positive human-nature interactions. Using a sample of 504 visitors to a national forest park in China, our study indicated all three dimensions of environmental restorative perception (compatibility, extent, and away) positively influenced place attachment. Place attachment promoted pro-environmental behavior. Place attachment was an important mediator of the relationship between environmental restorative perceptions (compatibility, extent, and away) and pro-environmental behavior. Eco-centrism has no moderating effect.