Norm activation and self-interested process in ethical behaviours for animal tourism: exploring the function of animal co-creation and Asian cultural values

Animal-based tourism has raised ethical issues, but few studies have been conducted in order to investigate the tourists’ ethical behaviour. The current study developed a theoretical framework that explains Korean tourists’ ethical behavioural intention by considering the norm activation model and the self-interested process. The study specifically linked two major normal factors, which include personal and social norms and one self-interested factor, which is the tourists’ ethical attitude, as a theoretical basis. Furthermore, Asian cultural values, which include views of human-nature and human-human relationships, and animal co-creation, which is an animal tourism activity characteristic, were inserted into an integrative model. The results indicated that the hypotheses were generally supported, which theoretically sheds light on the role of animal co-creation and Asian cultural values in regards to predicting ethical behaviour. The outcomes of this study could practically be developed in order to make effective strategies in regards to fostering the tourists’ ethical behaviours.