The perception over environmental issues: the impact on environmentally sustainable tourist behavior
Zehra Saltık, Orhan Akova
Abstract
This study highlights the crucial role of tourists’ perceptions of environmental issues in shaping environmentally sustainable behaviors, addressing a significant gap in understanding the psychological mechanisms behind these actions. It investigates how subjective norms mediate and behavioral beliefs moderate the relationship between these perceptions and behaviors. Employing a quantitative research method, data were collected from 440 international tourists visiting Turkey. Path analysis was conducted using AMOS to explore the mediator role, while the process macro was used to analyze the moderator role. Key findings reveal that environmental perception significantly influences environmentally sustainable vacation behavior and subjective norms, but does not affect behavioral beliefs. Furthermore, the mediating role of subjective norms was confirmed, whereas behavioral beliefs did not moderate the relationship. This study contributes to the literature by elucidating the complex interplay of psychological factors in promoting sustainable tourism behavior, offering valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the tourism industry.