THE EFFECTS OF TOURIST EXPERIENCES ON TOURISTS' ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR
Keywords:
tourist experience, responsible behavior, environment, sustainability, empirical analysis
Abstract
The rapid growth of global tourism has intensified its negative impacts on the natural environment, increasingly threatening the sustainability of destinations. Consequently, environmental conservation has become essential for the long-term viability of these areas. Tourists' behavior during their stay at destinations represents a key component of tourism activities and a critical factor shaping the landscape of host destinations. Therefore, developing strategies that foster environmentally responsible behavior has become a central concern in academic discourse. This study aims to analyze the effects of the tourist experience on tourists' intentions to behave responsibly toward the destination. Using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient on a sample of 40 respondents, this study indicates that sensory, social, and emotional tourist experiences positively influence environmentally responsible behavior. The results provide empirical support for the theoretical framework linking destination experiences and pro-environmental actions, while offering practical guidelines for encouraging sustainable tourism practices.
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References
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Tung, V. W. S., & Ritchie, J. B. (2011). Exploring the essence of memorable tourism experiences. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(4), 1367–1386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2011.03.009
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Cheng, T. E., Wang, J., Cao, M. M., Zhang, D. J., & Bai, H. X. (2018). The relationships among interpretive service quality, satisfaction, place attachment and environmentally responsible behavior at the cultural heritage sites in Xi'an, China. Applied Ecology & Environmental Research, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1605_63176339
Cheng, Z., & Chen, X. (2022). The effect of tourism experience on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior at cultural heritage sites: the mediating role of cultural attachment. Sustainability, 14(1), 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010565
Chiu, Y. T. H., Lee, W. I., & Chen, T. H. (2014). Environmentally responsible behavior in ecotourism: Exploring the role of destination image and value perception. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(8), 876–889. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2013.818048
Cohen, E. (2013). A phenomenology of tourist experiences. In The sociology of tourism (pp. 90–112). Routledge.
Cutler, S. Q., & Carmichael, B. A. (2010). The dimensions of the tourist experience. The tourism and leisure experience. Consumer and Managerial Perspectives, 44, 3–26. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.29308441.6
Godovykh, M., & Tasci, A. D. (2020). Customer experience in tourism: A review of definitions, components, and measurements. Tourism management perspectives, 35, 100694. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.tmp.2020.100694
Han, H. (2021). Consumer behavior and environmental sustainability in tourism and hospitality: A review of theories, concepts, and latest research. Sustainable Consumer Behaviour and the Environment, 1021–1042 https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003256274-1
Lee, C. K., Olya, H., Ahmad, M. S., Kim, K. H., & Oh, M. J. (2021). Sustainable intelligence, destination social responsibility, and pro-environmental behaviour of visitors: Evidence from an eco-tourism site. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.04.010
Li, J. J., Huang, L. M., He, M., & Ye, B. H. (2023). Understanding pro-environmental behavior in tourism: Developing an experimental model. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 57, 213–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.10.005
Lin, C. H., & Kuo, B. Z. L. (2016). The behavioral consequences of tourist experience. Tourism Management Perspectives, 18, 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2015.12.017
Mossberg, L. (2007). A marketing approach to the tourist experience. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 7(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250701231915
Pekovic, S., & Rolland, S. (2020). Recipes for achieving customer loyalty: A qualitative comparative analysis of the dimensions of customer experience. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 56, 102171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102171
Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (2011). The experience economy. Harvard Business Press.
Ren, J., Su, K., Chang, Y., & Wen, Y. (2021). Formation of environmentally friendly tourist behaviors in ecotourism destinations in China. Forests, 12(4), 424. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12040424
Ryan, C., & Zhang, X. N. (2024). Tourist Experiences: Insights from Psychology (Vol. 98). Channel View Publications. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.22679695
Salinero, Y., Prayag, G., Gómez-Rico, M., & Molina-Collado, A. (2025). Generation Z and pro-sustainable tourism behaviors: Internal and external drivers. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 33(6), 1059–1078. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2134400
Samaddar, K., Mondal, S., & Sharma, S. (2022). Reinforcing responsible tourism through cultural involvement: An empirical evidence from India. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 2(2), 365–387. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2020.1867698
Schmitt, B. (1999). Experiential marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(3), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725799784870496
Shien, L. Y., Liu, C. H., & Li, Y. M. (2022). How positive and negative environmental behaviours influence sustainable tourism intentions. Sustainability, 14(11), 6922. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116922
Simo-Kengne, B. D. (2022). Tourism growth and environmental sustainability: trade-off or convergence? Environment, Development and Sustainability, 24(6), 8115–8144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01775-5
Stanovčić, T., Manojlović, M., & Perovic, D. (2021). The relationship between cultural tourist experience and recommendation intention: empirical evidence from Montenegro. Sustainability, 13(23), 13144. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313144
Sthapit, E., Björk, P., & Coudounaris, D. (2023). Memorable nature-based tourism experience, place attachment and tourists’ environmentally responsible behaviour. Journal of Ecotourism, 22(4), 542–565. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2022.2091581
Su, L., & Swanson, S. R. (2017). The effect of destination social responsibility on tourist environmentally responsible behavior: Compared analysis of first-time and repeat tourists. Tourism Management, 60, 308–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.12.011
Tronvoll, B. (2011). Negative emotions and their effect on customer complaint behaviour. Journal of Service Management, 22(1), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231111106947
Tung, V. W. S., & Ritchie, J. B. (2011). Exploring the essence of memorable tourism experiences. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(4), 1367–1386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2011.03.009
Wu, D., Li, K., Ma, J., Wang, E., & Zhu, Y. (2022). How does tourist experience affect environmentally responsible behavior? Sustainability, 14(2), 924. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020924
Published
2026-10-16
How to Cite
Stanovčić, T., Perović, Đurđica, & Manojlović, M. (2026). THE EFFECTS OF TOURIST EXPERIENCES ON TOURISTS’ ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR. Tourism International Scientific Conference Vrnjačka Banja - TISC, 9(1), 24-36. https://doi.org/10.52370/TISC2624TS
Section
Articles
