Enhancing pro-environmental behaviors in tourism: Communication strategies rooted in elaboration factors

Abstract

Environmental communication strategies are essential for mitigating the negative environmental impacts of tourism due to their potential for rapid effectiveness. However, our understanding of how these strategies work is often constrained because the theories typically applied do not adequately reflect how well messages influence individual attitudes and behaviors. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore how different components of environmental messages influence the extent to which tourists engage with persuasive messages that promote pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs), using the elaboration likelihood model as a theoretical framework. The findings reveal that the perceived effort required for PEBs significantly influences how deeply tourists process environmental messages, which in turn affects the relationships between perceived persuasiveness, emotional responses, and intentions to engage in PEBs. This research highlights key factors that shape message elaboration and underscores the role of perceived effort in shaping emotional and persuasive responses to environmental communication.