Being there: How sensory impressions influence tourists' pro-environmental behaviors

Abstract

The significance of the sensory aspect in the tourism experience process for fostering pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) among tourists at the destination is well-acknowledged. However, the existing literature remains scant. This study endeavors to explore the impact of tourists' sensory impressions on their PEBs, from the perspective of the tourism destination. Given the fluctuations in the natural surroundings, we use daily green behaviors (DGBs) as a moderating factor to scrutinize the influence of PEBs on trip alterations. The findings reveal that the role of sensory impressions is not merely substantial in directly affecting visitors' PEBs, but also significantly influences PEBs through the mediating roles of place attachment and connectedness to nature. Tourists engaging in daily green behaviors in their habitual environments are found to augment the influence of place attachment on pro-environmental conduct within tourist locales. Additionally, tourists partaking in DGBs are more likely to enhance the impact of connectedness to nature in destinations on PEBs than tourists who do not engage in DGBs. This research enriches the extant body of knowledge on PEBs by rendering a more holistic insight into how sensory impressions might impact the PEBs of visitors and delineating the specific conditions under which this influence transpires.