How do environmental knowledge, environmental sensitivity, and place attachment affect environmentally responsible behavior? An integrated approach for sustainable island tourism

Abstract

Previous studies have explored tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) from the perspectives of individual commitment, attractiveness, and involvement. This study approaches from the standpoint of environmental knowledge (EK); it probes tourists’ behavior to facilitate sustainable tourism development, and constructs a sustainable island tourism development model by integrating EK, environmental sensitivity, place attachment, and ERB. Four hundred and seventy seven tourists visiting the Penghu Islands, Taiwan, were surveyed. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationships among the variables and the mediating effects. Results indicate that higher levels of tourists’ EK about the Penghu Islands are associated with stronger environmental sensitivity; environmental sensitivity which tourists have for island tourism is positively associated with place attachment. The extent of place attachment of Penghu as perceived by tourists is also positively associated with stronger ERB. When tourists are highly sensitive to the attraction, they are more likely to exhibit ERB. Environmental sensitivity and place attachment were found to exert significant effects in mediating the relationships between EK and ERB. This study pioneers the integration of all four constructs in a sustainable tourism behavior model for tourists to island tourism destinations. Suggestions for marketing and implementation of sustainable tourism, and their managerial implications are proposed.

环境知识，环境敏感度，和地域情感能影响对环境有责任的行为？一个对可持续性岛屿旅游的综合手段

之前的研究已经从个人承诺、吸引力以及参与度上探究了游客的环境负责行为（ERB）。这个研究通过环境意识的角度入手，探索游客的行为对促进可持续旅游业发展的影响，通过把环境意识、环境敏感度、地方联系以及有课的环境负责行为整合起来，构建一个可持续的岛屿旅游业发展模型。477名参观台湾澎湖岛的游客被作为调查对象。结构方程模型被同来决定变量和中介效应的关系。结果表明游客对澎湖岛高程度的环保意识和更强的环境敏感度有关；游客对岛屿旅游业的环境敏感度与场所依赖度为正相关性。游客对澎湖岛的场所依赖度和游客的环境负责行为同样有正相关性。当游客对吸引的事物非常敏感时，他们更容易出现有负责任的环境保护行为。环境敏感度和场所依赖度被发现在环境意识和负责任的环境行为之间有重要的调节作用。这个研究在 整合所有四个组成部分在小岛旅游景区的游客可持续旅游行为模式中是先行者。这里还提出了一些对可持续旅游业的市场宣传、应用和管理问题的建议。

Keywords:

• environmental knowledge
• environmental sensitivity
• place attachment
• environmentally responsible behavior
• sustainable tourism development

关键词:

• 环境意识
• 环境敏感度
• 场所依赖；
• 负责人的环境行为
• 可持续旅游业的发展

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tien-Ming Cheng

Tien-Ming Cheng is a professor at the Graduate Institute of Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality Management, National Chiayi University in Taiwan. His main research interests include sustainable tourism, marine tourism, recreation behavior, and human resource management in tourism.

Homer C. Wu

Homer C. Wu is a professor at National Taichung University of Education in Taiwan and the former director of the Graduate Program of Sustainable Tourism and Recreation Management. His main research interests include recreation and tourism management, especially in the fields of heritage interpretation, environmental education, and ecotourism development.