| Author: | Qin, Qun |
| Title: | Urban travelers’ pro-environmental behaviors |
| Advisors: | Hsu, Cathy (SHTM) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Subject: | Tourism -- Environmental aspects Urban tourism -- Environmental aspects Tourists -- Attitudes Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | xiii, 195 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Travel and tourism accelerate the environmental challenges in many urban destinations. Central to the discussion of tourism-related environmental issues is pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) at the individual level. Urban areas attract large numbers of tourists, yet tourists are less interested in performing PEBs during travel. Tourist PEB studies have primarily focused on socio-psychological variables, leaving the important contextual force not explicitly examined in detail. This is partly because that the absence of a committed scale to measure the pro-environmental contextual force has hampered the examination. In addition, most existing measurements of PEBs are rooted in Western perspectives and tourism studies tend to state PEBs as a general term. A dedicated scale to represent tourists' specific PEBs is needed. This thesis comprises two studies to achieve four research objectives. Study 1 aims to 1) develop a scale to measure the pro-environmental contextual force that triggers urban travelers' PEBs, and 2) examine the effect of pro-environmental contextual force on urban travelers' actual PEBs and PEB intention for next visits. Study 2 aims to 3) develop a scale to measure urban travelers' specific PEBs, and 4) establish a comprehensive model to explain urban travelers' specific PEBs. The two studies follow the recommendation of established scale development procedures including domain specification, item pool generation, expert review, item purification, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and nomological validation. The main theoretical foundation of this thesis is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which postulates attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) determine the intention which in turn determines the performance of a behavior. Regarding the pro-environmental contextual force, nine dimensions are extracted mainly inductively from in-depth interviews using content analysis approach: supportive big environment, engaging campaign/activity, cost efficiency, environmental quality, facility readiness, policy effectiveness, resident support, signage saliency, and travel partner influence. These nine dimensions and items are tested with empirical data obtained from a large-sample questionnaire survey and are modeled as a second-order reflective-reflective construct. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is adopted as the major analytical method and pro-environmental contextual force is evidenced to be a significant antecedent of urban travelers' PEBs. The proposed model exhibited medium-to-substantial predictive power and out-of-sample relevance. For the scale of urban travelers' specific PEBs, six dimensions are extracted from in-depth interviews and existing literature: donate, learn, reduce, remind, reuse, and shop. These dimensions and measurement items are tested by large-scale survey data obtained from four urban destinations and are found to be a second-order reflective-formative construct. The comprehensive model which includes pro-environmental subjective norm, PBC, pro-environmental habit, and destination satisfaction demonstrates medium-to-substantial predictive power. Overall, this thesis contributes to the academic knowledge of pro-environmentalism and provides specific guidelines to destination management stakeholders. Specifically, Study 1 clarifies the content of pro-environmental contextual force and develops a valid scale to measure it. Study 1 also verifies that pro-environmental contextual force is a predictor of urban travelers' PEBs. Study 2 develops a scale to measure urban travelers' specific PEBs. Study 2 also establishes a comprehensive model to predict urban travelers' specific PEBs. Practically, destination management organizations, pro-environmental activist groups, and governments can utilize the two new scales to inform green image building and promote PEBs among urban tourists. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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