Transforming tourist behavior: An integrated emotional and normative framework for promoting environmental intentions at eco-destinations

Abstract

The sustainable success of ecotourism destinations significantly depends on tourists' intention of pro-environmental behaviour (IPB). This research examines the IPB of tourists visiting Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China. This research utilizes the newly developed Unified Norm Activation Model (UNAM), which integrates the Norm Activation Model (NAM) with Cognitive Emotion Theory, to analyze how eco-friendly evaluations of destination influence tourists' emotions and subsequent pro-environmental behaviours. The study emphasizes the crucial role of emotional experiences in fostering pro-environmental responsibility and intentions among tourists. A survey of 568 tourists was conducted, and data analysis was conducted with Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS software. The findings indicate that positive eco-friendly evaluations significantly enhance positive emotions and ascription of environmental responsibility, which in turn positively affects personal environmental norms and IPB. Conversely, negative emotions have adverse effects on these constructs. The theoretical implications emphasize the integration of emotional and normative factors in predicting IPB. In contrast, the practical implications suggest that enhancing eco-friendly attributes of destinations fosters sustainable tourists’ pro-environmental behaviour. The findings recommend that destination managers prioritize eco-friendly practices to enhance tourists' positive experiences and promote sustainable tourism with pro-environmental behaviour intentions.