Abstract
If responsible ecotourists stay in a local homestay, this will benefit local people economically and lead to improved wildlife conservation. This study aims to examine the mediator roles of attitudes between anticipated emotion and intention. It was conducted in Penang National Park, Malaysia, and a stratified sampling method was used for collecting the data. In all, 320 sets of questionnaires were analysed using the SPSS Amos 24.0 Statistical Software Package to test the Structural Equation Modelling. The findings show that economically responsible ecotourist attitudes to staying in local homestays for wildlife conservation partially mediate the relationship between anticipated emotion and intention to stay in a local homestay for wildlife conservation. This study suggests that players in the ecotourism industry should incorporate emotional elements in their marketing strategies to promote local homestays to responsible ecotourists, which would benefit local economies.
Highlights
According to a 2020 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report [1], wildlife populations have declined by 68% since 1970 due to their over-consumption by poor local people living in or near national parks
The study revealed that attitude towards staying in a local homestay for wildlife conservation has a significant direct effect on intention to stay in local homestays for wildlife conservation
The study proves that anticipated emotion can influence attitude since the results indicate that anticipated emotion has a significant direct effect on attitude towards staying in a local homestay for wildlife conservation
Summary
According to a 2020 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report [1], wildlife populations have declined by 68% since 1970 due to their over-consumption by poor local people living in or near national parks. According to Duffy, St John, Büscher and Brockington [2], poverty is the main reason for illegal wildlife hunting by locals, who sell the hunted wildlife at high prices as a source of income. It is important to alleviate poverty among local people to save wildlife. Increased incomes will reduce the local dependence on wildlife. Ecotourism is defined by the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as “responsible travel to natural settings that conserves the environment and enhances the well-being of local people” [5]
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