Exploring Visitors’ Pro-environmental Behaviors at Urban Forest Destinations

Abstract

Our theoretical framework was intricately crafted to illuminate the decision-making dynamics of visitors in urban forest destinations. The primary objectives of this study were to scrutinize visitors' pro-environmental behavior (PRB), employing the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as a foundational framework, and extending it by incorporating key factors such as connectedness to nature, biospheric value, environmental empathy, attitude, positive anticipated emotion, moral norms, subjective norms, and natural/local resource conservation intentions, within the unique context of urban forest destinations. Utilizing GSCA_M, the framework’s measurement quality is affirmed as being adequate. Findings from the structural model and necessary condition analysis (NCA) robustly supported the hypothesized associations within the proposed theoretical framework. Notably, cognitive and affective appraisals, along with moral considerations, emerged as salient in shaping visitor intentions. Furthermore, empirical support was observed for the hypothesized impact of natural resource conservation intentions on determining PRB, providing nuanced insights into the factors influencing pro-environmental actions in urban forest destinations. This comprehensive approach not only enhances theoretical understanding but also offers practical applications for promoting sustainable behaviors in these unique settings.