IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i1p565-d718124.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effect of Tourism Experience on Tourists’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior at Cultural Heritage Sites: The Mediating Role of Cultural Attachment

Author

Listed:
  • Zhenfeng Cheng

    (Business School, Guangzhou College of Technology and Business, Guangzhou 510850, China)

  • Xin Chen

    (College of Landscape Architecture and Tourism, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China)

Abstract

With the rapid development of tourism and the explosive growth of tourist arrivals, the destructive effects of tourist activities on the ecological environment of tourist destinations are becoming increasingly severe, seriously restricting the sustainable development of these destinations. As one of the most important types of current tourist destinations, cultural heritage sites are in urgent need of a well-protected ecological environment. Environmental protection has already become an important task for their sustainable development. The behavior of tourists during visits, which plays a central role in tourist activities, has gradually become a key factor affecting the environment of tourist destinations. Therefore, approaches to effectively identify the mechanisms underpinning tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior have become a focus of both theoretical and practical domains. Based on a stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theoretical framework, our study established a mediation model based on cultural attachments, and explored the mechanisms affecting how cognitive, emotional, and cultural experiences influence tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. The experience-attachment-behavior transmission mechanism was also considered. A structural equation model was applied to empirically test the 588 pieces of data collected from tourists involved in heritage tourism. The test results show that the cognitive, emotional, and cultural experiences delivered from tourist destinations of cultural heritage, positively affected tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. Cultural attachment plays a partially mediating role between cognitive, emotional, cultural experiences and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. These study results not only support theoretical research on the relationship between tourism experiences and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior, but also indicate the effective driving pathways of tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior at the practical level. As such, this research provides both theoretical reference and practical guidance for the sustainable development of tourist destinations with diverse cultural heritages.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhenfeng Cheng & Xin Chen, 2022. "The Effect of Tourism Experience on Tourists’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior at Cultural Heritage Sites: The Mediating Role of Cultural Attachment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:1:p:565-:d:718124
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/565/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/565/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Su, Lujun & Hsu, Maxwell K. & Boostrom, Robert E., 2020. "From recreation to responsibility: Increasing environmentally responsible behavior in tourism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 557-573.
    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. Qiang Wang & Wenhao Song & Xi Peng, 2022. "The Behavior-Driven Mechanism of Consumer Participation in “Carbon Neutrality”: Based on the Promotion of Replacing Coal with Biomass Briquette Fuel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Elsie Nasr & Okechukwu Lawrence Emeagwali & Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani & Souha Al-Geitany, 2022. "Destination Social Responsibility and Residents’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior: Assessing the Mediating Role of Community Attachment and Involvement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-26, October.
    3. Hossein Mousazadeh & Amir Ghorbani & Hossein Azadi & Farahnaz Akbarzadeh Almani & Ali Zangiabadi & Kai Zhu & Lóránt Dénes Dávid, 2023. "Developing Sustainable Behaviors for Underground Heritage Tourism Management: The Case of Persian Qanats, a UNESCO World Heritage Property," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Yang Yang & Zhengyun Wang & Han Shen & Naipeng Jiang, 2023. "The Impact of Emotional Experience on Tourists’ Cultural Identity and Behavior in the Cultural Heritage Tourism Context: An Empirical Study on Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, May.
    5. Glykeria Myrovali & Maria Morfoulaki & Thomai Mpaltzi, 2023. "Can Destination Cards Help to Shape Areas’ Sustainability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Yun Wang & Chih-Chiang Wang, 2022. "How Climbers’ Sensation of Recreation Impact and Recreation Experience Affect Their Environmental Attitudes and Environmentally Responsible Behaviors: A Case of Jiaming Lake National Trail," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Yuqing Geng & Hongwei Zhu & Renjun Zhu, 2022. "Coupling Coordination between Cultural Heritage Protection and Tourism Development: The Case of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-22, November.
    8. Liliana A. Alencastro & Mauricio Carvache-Franco & Wilmer Carvache-Franco, 2023. "Preferences of Experiential Fishing Tourism in a Marine Protected Area: A Study in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-15, January.

    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. Sanja Obradović & Vladimir Stojanović & Aleksandra Tešin & Ivan Šećerov & Milana Pantelić & Dragan Dolinaj, 2022. "Memorable Tourist Experiences in National Parks: Impacts on Future Intentions and Environmentally Responsible Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, December.
    2. 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.
    3. Xiaojuan Rao & Hongliang Qiu & Alastair M. Morrison & Wei Wei & Xihua Zhang, 2022. "Predicting Private and Public Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Rural Tourism Contexts Using SEM and fsQCA: The Role of Destination Image and Relationship Quality," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-30, March.
    4. Halkos, George & Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia & Matsiori, Steriani, 2018. "Teachers’ environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior: An application of CNS and EID scales," MPRA Paper 84505, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Yanlong Guo & Jiaying Yu & Han Zhang & Zuoqing Jiang, 2022. "A Study on Cultural Context Perception in Huizhou Cultural and Ecological Reserve Based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Wei Zheng & Hongliang Qiu & Alastair M. Morrison, 2023. "Applying a Combination of SEM and fsQCA to Predict Tourist Resource-Saving Behavioral Intentions in Rural Tourism: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-23, January.
    7. Wei Zheng & Hongliang Qiu & Alastair M. Morrison & Wei Wei & Xihua Zhang, 2022. "Landscape and Unique Fascination: A Dual-Case Study on the Antecedents of Tourist Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Shiwei Shen & Marios Sotiriadis & Qing Zhou, 2020. "Could Smart Tourists Be Sustainable and Responsible as Well? The Contribution of Social Networking Sites to Improving Their Sustainable and Responsible Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Tamara Vlastelica & Milica Kostić-Stanković & Tamara Rajić & Jelena Krstić & Tijana Obradović, 2023. "Determinants of Young Adult Consumers’ Environmentally and Socially Responsible Apparel Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Yagang Zhao & Binli Tang & Xiaojie Yang & Jeroen Nawijn, 2024. "How Review Valence Shapes Visit Intention: Affective Commitment and Destination Reputation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-18, April.
    11. Tao Zhang & Chao Feng & Hui Chen & Junjie Xian, 2022. "Calming the customers by AI: Investigating the role of chatbot acting-cute strategies in soothing negative customer emotions," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(4), pages 2277-2292, December.
    12. Rui Guo & Xiaoying Liu & Hakjun Song, 2021. "Structural Relationships among Strategic Experiential Modules, Motivation, Serious Leisure, Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Bicycle Tourism," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Su, Lujun & Swanson, Scott R., 2017. "The effect of destination social responsibility on tourist environmentally responsible behavior: Compared analysis of first-time and repeat tourists," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 308-321.
    14. Chang Liu & Mingshui Lin & Xinhua Qi & Wenjuan Zheng, 2021. "Estimating the Preservation Value of Wuyishan National Park from the Perspective of Bounded Rational Decision Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, June.
    15. 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.
    16. Pahrudin Pahrudin & Li-Wei Liu & Shao-Yu Li, 2022. "What Is the Role of Tourism Management and Marketing toward Sustainable Tourism? A Bibliometric Analysis Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, April.
    17. Muhammad Saeed Ashraf & Naeem Akhtar & Rana Umair Ashraf & Fujun Hou & Muhammad Junaid & Syed Ali Ashiq Kirmani, 2020. "Traveling Responsibly to Ecofriendly Destinations: An Individual-Level Cross-Cultural Comparison between the United Kingdom and China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, April.
    18. Abbas Mardani & Dalia Streimikiene & Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Fausto Cavallaro & Mehrbakhsh Nilashi & Ahmad Jusoh & Habib Zare, 2017. "Application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to Solve Environmental Sustainability Problems: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-65, October.
    19. Carlos Sánchez‐Camacho & Rocío Carranza & David Martín‐Consuegra & Estrella Díaz, 2022. "Evolution, trends and future research lines in corporate social responsibility and tourism: A bibliometric analysis and science mapping," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 462-476, June.
    20. Xiaocheng Vicky Zhang & Suk Ha Grace Chan, 2021. "Do Knowledge and Experience Value Affect Green Tourism Activity Participation and Buying Decision? A Case Study of Natural Dyeing Experience in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.

    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:14:y:2022:i:1:p:565-:d:718124. 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.