Understanding backpacker sustainable behavior using the tri-component attitude model

Abstract

Research on sustainable practices of backpackers lacks a comprehensive model for understanding their sustainable behavior. This paper argues that the contribution of backpacker tourism to sustainable consumption can be achieved if backpackers’ attitudes and behaviors are understood and managed. Predicated on the tri-component attitude model that conceptualizes attitude as a complex relationship among cognition (backpacker motivations and perceived impacts of backpacking), actions (backpacker sustainable and unsustainable behavior), and affection (backpacker satisfaction), this paper proposes a model for understanding backpacker sustainable behavior. We surveyed 400 backpackers in Ghana and tested 12 hypotheses using SPSS and AMOS software. The findings demonstrate that perceived positive impacts of backpacking predict backpacker sustainable behavior, suggesting that backpackers perceive their impacts positively, and hence engage in sustainable behaviors to reaffirm such perceptions. The results, however, reveal an insignificant relationship between the perceived positive impacts of backpacking and backpacker unsustainable behavior. The results also show that backpacker motivations explain the tendency to behave unsustainably. Based on these findings, we draw implications for promoting “intentional sustainability” by global organizations and destination management organizations.

Keywords:

• Backpacker motivations
• perceived impacts of backpacking
• backpacker sustainable behavior
• backpacker satisfaction

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Agyeiwaah

Elizabeth Agyeiwaah is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau. She received her PhD at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests include sustainable tourism development, small and medium tourism enterprises, and tourist studies.

Frederick Dayour

Frederick Dayour is a lecturer at the Department of Community Development, University for Development Studies, Ghana and Research Associate at the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interests comprise ICTs in tourism, tourist behaviours, consumer risk perception, backpacking, and tourism and terrorism.

Felix Elvis Otoo

Felix Elvis Otoo is with Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam. He received his Ph.D. at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests include volunteer tourism, non-profit and social work, ecotourism, tourists’ behavior, as well as tourism and climate studies.

Ben Goh

Goh, Ben K. is a Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology. His research interests include Workforce Development and Strategic Organizational Management.