Demystifying tourists’ intentional readiness for net zero transformation through environmental knowledge, conspicuous altruism, and greenwashing perceptions
Murat Aktan, Umer Zaman, Syed Hassan Raza, Erdoğan Koç
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.