Balancing nature-based tourism and sustainable well-being: exploring aesthetic quality, environmental benefits, and pro-environmental behaviour
Xuqi Chen, Lewis T.O. Cheung
Abstract
This study investigates the trade-offs between biodiverse aesthetic quality, environmental benefits and nature-based tourism, emphasising their impacts on tourist well-being, pro-environmental behaviour and satisfaction. Questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain the responses of 406 visitors in nature-based destinations in Hong Kong. The biodiverse aesthetic quality has been identified as a significant stimulus in predicting perceived benefits and satisfaction. Although anthropocentric benefits perceived by visitors cannot directly predict pro-environmental behaviour, tourist satisfaction contributes to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, and pro-environmental behaviour. These findings highlight the need for destination managers to design nature-based tourism experiences that optimise both visitor satisfaction and sustainability goals. This study provides a new perspective on the growing discourse on sustainable tourism management, offering policy contributions for balancing tourist well-being and environmental conservation.