Will tourists’ pro-environmental behavior influence their well-being? An examination from the perspective of warm glow theory

Abstract

The positive outcomes of tourists’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB) to sustainable destination development are widely acknowledged, but little is known about the outcome of such behavior on tourists themselves. Drawing on the warm glow theory, this article investigates the unique role of tourists’ PEB in enhancing their own well-being. Through two studies, it was found that tourists who engaged in PEB had greater well-being than those who didn’t (Study 1, via survey), and that tourists’ perceived outcome efficacy and social worth played sequential mediating effects in this process (Study 2, through survey and experiment in two phases of data collection). After engaging in PEB, tourists believe that their PEB is effective in protecting the destination environment, which further strengthens their feelings of social worth and boosts their well-being. The findings highlight the psychological benefit beyond the environmental benefit of tourists’ PEB. Results also show that tourists are compatible with destinations when it comes to environmental protection, which sheds light on sustainable destination development and management efforts.