Demystifying tourists’ intentional readiness for net zero transformation through environmental knowledge, conspicuous altruism, and greenwashing perceptions

ABSTRACT

Global nations strategically aim to embrace net-zero transformations that warrant active involvement from tourists to drive radical change (i.e. readiness for net-zero tourism) at host destinations. The present study aimed to clarify tourists' intentional readiness for net-zero tourism by using the costly-signaling theory and the knowledge-attitude-behavior model. The findings based on a representative sample (N = 430) of tourists in Turkiye demonstrated that subjective environmental knowledge and eco-literacy significantly boost intentional readiness for net-zero tourism. This effect intensifies when net-zero practices are perceived as conspicuous. Interestingly, greenwashing perception negatively moderated the influence of subjective environmental knowledge on intentional readiness for net-zero tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Costly-signaling theory
• knowledge-attitude-behavior theory
• tourist’s readiness for net-zero tourism
• conspicuous altruism orientation
• subjective environmental knowledge
• greenwashing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).