IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i3p634-d133918.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Will the Future Be Greener? The Environmental Behavioral Intentions of University Tourism Students

Author

Listed:
  • Su-Lan Pan

    (School of Tourism & Hospitality Management and Institute for Development of Cross-strait Small and Medium Enterprises at Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan 430205, China)

  • Ju Chou

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

  • Alastair M. Morrison

    (National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Kaohsiung 80217, Taiwan)

  • Wen-Shiung Huang

    (Department of Tourism and Leisure Management at Ling Tung University, Taichung 40852, Taiwan)

  • Meng-Chen Lin

    (School of Business Administration at Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan 430205, China)

Abstract

Sustainable tourism is essential for tourism sector development. Environmentally responsible behaviors and behavioral intentions are important prerequisites for sustainable tourism. This research explores the behavioral intentions of university tourism students and significant factors affecting these behavioral intentions. The questionnaire survey method was applied to university students from the tourism departments of nine universities in Taiwan. A total of 390 valid questionnaires were collected. The pro-environmental behavioral intentions of the students ranged from moderate to high. Environmental knowledge positively affected behavioral intentions and positively influenced environmental sensitivity and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, environmental sensitivity and environmental responsibility exerted a full effect in mediating the relationship between environmental knowledge and behavioral intentions. Hence, increasing students’ environmental knowledge will enhance their behavioral intentions. However, by improving students’ sensitivity and responsibility, their intentions to protect the environment can be more effectively elevated. Development implications and recommendations for sustainable tourism and higher education are provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Su-Lan Pan & Ju Chou & Alastair M. Morrison & Wen-Shiung Huang & Meng-Chen Lin, 2018. "Will the Future Be Greener? The Environmental Behavioral Intentions of University Tourism Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:3:p:634-:d:133918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/3/634/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/3/634/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Moghimehfar, Farhad & Halpenny, Elizabeth A., 2016. "How do people negotiate through their constraints to engage in pro-environmental behavior? A study of front-country campers in Alberta, Canada," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 362-372.
    2. Onwezen, Marleen C. & Antonides, Gerrit & Bartels, Jos, 2013. "The Norm Activation Model: An exploration of the functions of anticipated pride and guilt in pro-environmental behaviour," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 141-153.
    3. Chiu, Yen-Ting Helena & Lee, Wan-I. & Chen, Tsung-Hsiung, 2014. "Environmentally responsible behavior in ecotourism: Antecedents and implications," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 321-329.
    4. Piera Buonincontri & Alessandra Marasco & Haywantee Ramkissoon, 2017. "Visitors’ Experience, Place Attachment and Sustainable Behaviour at Cultural Heritage Sites: A Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    6. Tanti Handriana & Raya Ambara, 2016. "Responsible environmental behavior intention of travelers on ecotourism sites," Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, vol. 22(2), pages 135-150, December.
    7. Imran, Sophia & Alam, Khorshed & Beaumont, Narelle, 2014. "Environmental orientations and environmental behaviour: Perceptions of protected area tourism stakeholders," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 290-299.
    8. Lee, Tsung Hung & Jan, Fen-Hauh & Yang, Chung-Cheng, 2013. "Conceptualizing and measuring environmentally responsible behaviors from the perspective of community-based tourists," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 454-468.
    9. Xianbing Liu & Can Wang & Tomohiro Shishime & Tetsuro Fujitsuka, 2012. "Sustainable consumption: Green purchasing behaviours of urban residents in China," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(4), pages 293-308, July.
    10. J Burgess & C M Harrison & P Filius, 1998. "Environmental Communication and the Cultural Politics of Environmental Citizenship," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 30(8), pages 1445-1460, August.
    11. Pablo Díaz-Siefer & Alexander Neaman & Eduardo Salgado & Juan L. Celis-Diez & Siegmar Otto, 2015. "Human-Environment System Knowledge: A Correlate of Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-17, November.
    12. Yuling Zhang & Jie Zhang & Yuyao Ye & Qitao Wu & Lixia Jin & Hongou Zhang, 2016. "Residents’ Environmental Conservation Behaviors at Tourist Sites: Broadening the Norm Activation Framework by Adopting Environment Attachment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-16, June.
    13. Han, Heesup, 2015. "Travelers' pro-environmental behavior in a green lodging context: Converging value-belief-norm theory and the theory of planned behavior," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 164-177.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Michael Tarrant & Stephen Schweinsberg & Adam Landon & Stephen L. Wearing & Matthew McDonald & Donald Rubin, 2021. "Exploring Student Engagement in Sustainability Education and Study Abroad," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Elisa Giampietri & Samuele Trestini, 2023. "Pro-Environmental Viticulture: Status Quo and Perspectives from Prosecco Winegrowers in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-12, January.
    3. Md. Sahabuddin & Qingmei Tan & Imran Hossain & Md. Shariful Alam & Md. Nekmahmud, 2021. "Tourist Environmentally Responsible Behavior and Satisfaction; Study on the World’s Longest Natural Sea Beach, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Winitra Leelapattana & Shih-Yun Hsu & Weerapon Thongma & Chun Chen & Fu-Mei Chiang, 2019. "Understanding the Impact of Environmental Education on Tourists’ Future Visit Intentions to Leisure Farms in Mountain Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-13, March.
    5. Majdi M. Alomari & Hania El-Kanj & Ayse Topal, 2021. "Analysis of Energy Conservation Behavior at the Kuwaiti Academic Buildings," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(1), pages 219-232.
    6. Yayla Özgür & Keskin Emrah & Keles Hüseyin, 2022. "The Relationship Between Environmental Sensitivity, Ecological Attitude, and the Ecological Product purchasing Behaviour of Tourists," European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 31-45, December.
    7. Carl Marnewick & Gilbert Silvius & Ron Schipper, 2019. "Exploring Patterns of Sustainability Stimuli of Project Managers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Nirda de Jesús Colón-Flores & Maira Rafaela Vargas-Martínez & Joselina Caridad Tavarez-De Henríquez & Cándida María Domínguez-Valerio, 2023. "Environmental, Social and Economic Attitudes and Sustainable Knowledge on the Sustainable Behaviour of Engineering Students: An Analysis Based on Attitudes towards Teachers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-20, September.
    9. Piyapong Janmaimool & Surapong Chudech, 2020. "Effect of Domestic and Global Environmental Events on Environmental Concern and Environmental Responsibility among University Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meng-Tsung Lee & Jen-Ming Liu & Elaine Q. Borazon, 2020. "Evaluating the Effect of Perceived Value of Ecosystem Services on Tourists’ Behavioral Intentions for Aogu Coastal Wetland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Yongxun Xu & Xuechao Wei & Shih-Chih Chen, 2019. "Determinants and Mechanisms of Tourists’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior: Applying and Extending the Value-Identity-Personal Norm Model in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-14, July.
    3. Sifeng Nian & Honglei Zhang & Ling Mao & Wenjing Zhao & Hui Zhang & Youhai Lu & Yingying Zhang & Yifan Xu, 2019. "How Outstanding Universal Value, Service Quality and Place Attachment Influences Tourist Intention Towards World Heritage Conservation: A Case Study of Mount Sanqingshan National Park, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Chu feng Yu & Yong Ma & Jie Ren, 2021. "Mapping the Landscape and Evolution of Research on Pro-Environmental Behavior of Tourists," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    5. Han, Heesup & Hyun, Sunghyup Sean, 2018. "What influences water conservation and towel reuse practices of hotel guests?," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 87-97.
    6. Farzana Sharmin & Mohammad Tipu Sultan & Alina Badulescu & Dorin Paul Bac & Benqian Li, 2020. "Millennial Tourists’ Environmentally Sustainable Behavior Towards a Natural Protected Area: An Integrative Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-24, October.
    7. Xiaojian Hu & Nan Wu & Nuo Chen, 2021. "Young People’s Behavioral Intentions towards Low-Carbon Travel: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, February.
    8. Sunmi Yun & Taeuk Kim, 2019. "What Do Coffee Shop Entrepreneurs Need to Do to Raise Pro-Environmental Customer Behavioral Intentions?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Wells, Victoria K. & Manika, Danae & Gregory-Smith, Diana & Taheri, Babak & McCowlen, Clair, 2015. "Heritage tourism, CSR and the role of employee environmental behaviour," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 399-413.
    10. Su, Lujun & Huang, Songshan (Sam) & Pearce, Joanna, 2018. "How does destination social responsibility contribute to environmentally responsible behaviour? A destination resident perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 179-189.
    11. Heesup Han & Xiaoting Chi & Chang-Sik Kim & Hyungseo Bobby Ryu, 2020. "Activators of Airline Customers’ Sense of Moral Obligation to Engage in Pro-Social Behaviors: Impact of CSR in the Korean Marketplace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, May.
    12. Hongru Yan & Huaqi Chai, 2021. "Consumers’ Intentions towards Green Hotels in China: An Empirical Study Based on Extended Norm Activation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    13. Yuling Zhang & Jie Zhang & Yuyao Ye & Qitao Wu & Lixia Jin & Hongou Zhang, 2016. "Residents’ Environmental Conservation Behaviors at Tourist Sites: Broadening the Norm Activation Framework by Adopting Environment Attachment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-16, June.
    14. Qing Zhang & Arporn Popa & Huazhen Sun & Weifeng Guo & Fang Meng, 2022. "Tourists’ Intention of Undertaking Environmentally Responsible Behavior in National Forest Trails: A Comparative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, May.
    15. Hayati Ibrahim & Manohar Mariapan & Evelyn Lim Ai Lin & Sheena Bidin, 2021. "Wildlife Conservation through Economically Responsible Ecotourist: The Mediator Roles of Attitude between Anticipated Emotion and Intention to Stay in Local Homestays," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    16. Siti Intan Nurdiana Wong Abdullah & Zaiton Samdin & Jo Ann Ho & Siew Imm Ng, 2020. "Sustainability of marine parks: Is knowledge–attitude–behaviour still relevant?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 7357-7384, December.
    17. Hajiheydari, Nastaran & Delgosha, Mohammad Soltani, 2023. "Citizens' support in social mission platforms: Unravelling configurations for participating in civic crowdfunding platforms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    18. Lin Shen & Hongyun Si & Lei Yu & Haolun Si, 2019. "Factors Influencing Young People’s Intention toward Municipal Solid Waste Sorting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-19, May.
    19. Aise Kim & Ki Pyung Kim & Tan Hai Dang Nguyen, 2021. "The Green Accommodation Management Practices: The Role of Environmentally Responsible Tourist Markets in Understanding Tourists’ Pro-Environmental Behaviour," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-23, February.
    20. Ezlika M. Ghazali & Bang Nguyen & Dilip S. Mutum & Su-Fei Yap, 2019. "Pro-Environmental Behaviours and Value-Belief-Norm Theory: Assessing Unobserved Heterogeneity of Two Ethnic Groups," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-28, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:3:p:634-:d:133918. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.