Understanding tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior at coastal tourism destinations

Cultivating tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior is critical for coastal tourism destinations to remain competitive. Building upon the extended ‘cognitive-affective-conative’ framework and the theory of social exchange, this study investigated the relationship between destination image and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior in coastal tourism destinations and examined the mediating role of perceived value and the moderating role of destination social responsibility. The results indicated that the cognitive image of coastal destinations includes four dimensions (i.e., coastal atmosphere, coastal scenery, coastal characteristics, and coastal environment). The study suggested that cognitive image and perceived value play significant roles in driving tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. Specifically, perceived value mediates the relationship between affective image and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior, whereas destination social responsibility moderates the relationship between cognitive image and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the main text.