FROM ATTACHMENT TO ACTION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDE IN SHAPING RESPONSIBLE TOURIST BEHAVIOUR

This study addresses a research gap by investigating how different dimensions of place attachment contribute to fostering environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB) among tourists, an area where empirical evidence remains limited, particularly regarding sanitation and waste management. The purpose of this research is to examine the direct and indirect effects of Place Attachment to Water (PAW), Place Attachment to Sanitation (PAS), and Place Attachment to Management of Waste (PAMW) on ERB, with Environmental Attitude (EA) serving as a mediating variable. A quantitative approach was employed through a cross-sectional survey of 300 domestic tourists visiting Taman Selecta, Batu City, East Java. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS. Results reveal that PAW and PAMW significantly influence EA, whereas PAS does not. EA strongly predicts ERB, affirming its central position in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework. Direct effect analysis shows that only PAW significantly affects ERB, while mediation analysis confirms that EA partially mediates the PAW–ERB relationship and fully mediates the PAMW–ERB relationship. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing water-related experiences and communicating waste management practices to strengthen environmental attitudes and encourage pro-environmental tourist behaviour.