Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2025
Fostering responsible travel behavior at natural heritage destinations through the lens of destination social responsibility and value-belief-norm theory
This research aims to extend the value-belief-norm theory to understand the responsible travel behavioral intention of tourists at natural heritage destinations, focusing on the relationships among environmental sustainability value, destination social responsibility (DSR), tourism destination preference, personal norms, and behavioral intention. A total of 565 responses from visitors to Jeju Island were collected through an online survey and analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and deep learning to test hypotheses. All hypotheses are supported by the PLS-SEM results. Findings reveal that environmental sustainability value has a considerable influence on DSR, followed by tourism destination preference and personal norms, which in turn influence responsible travel behavioral intention. The use of fsQCA provides more complete knowledge of the impact of each predictor, indicating a few causal configurations for responsible travel behavioral intention. The findings reveal that the extension of the VBN well explains tourists’ responsible behavioral intention at a natural heritage destination, demonstrating the substantial effects of DSR and preference in the research model and offering theoretical and practical implications for natural heritage tourism destinations.
AgarwalRMehrotraAMishraA, et al. (2024) Four decades of sustainable tourism research: trends and future research directions. International Journal of Tourism Research26(2): e2643.
2.
BrehmJW (1966) A Theory of Psychological Reactance. Academic Press.
3.
BuerkeAStraatmannTLin-HiN, et al. (2017) Consumer awareness and sustainability-focused value orientation as motivation factors of responsible consumer behavior. Review of Managerial Science11: 959–991.
4.
ChenXLeeGJooD (2024) Natural landscape performance: environmental restorativeness and its influence on tourist behavior. International Journal of Tourism Research26(2): e2636.
5.
ChoeYWangJSongH (2021) The impact of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus on inbound tourism in South Korea toward sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism29(7): 1117–1133.
6.
ChoiSChoeY (2024) Don’t know option in destination image study: extending insights into cross-border travel and residents. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & TourismSeptember: 1–11.
7.
CohenJ (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
8.
CucculelliMGoffiG (2016) Does sustainability enhance tourism destination competitiveness? Evidence from Italian destinations of excellence. Journal of Cleaner Production111: 370–382.
9.
De GrootJIThøgersenJ (2018) Values and pro‐environmental behaviour. In: StegL.de GrootJ. I. M. (eds). Environmental Psychology: An introduction. 2nd ed.Wiley, 167–178. DOI: 10.1002/9781119241072.ch17.
10.
DolnicarS (2010) Identifying tourists with smaller environmental footprints. Journal of Sustainable Tourism18(6): 717–734.
11.
DoranRLarsenS (2016) The relative importance of social and personal norms in explaining intentions to choose eco-friendly travel options. International Journal of Tourism Research18(2): 159–166.
12.
Fanea-IvanoviciMBaberHSalemIE, et al. (2025) What do you value based on who you are? Big five personality traits, destination value and electronic word-of-mouth intentions. Tourism and Hospitality Research25(1): 104–119.
13.
FatmaMRahmanZKhanI (2016) Measuring consumer perception of CSR in tourism industry: scale development and validation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management27: 39–48.
14.
FauziMAHanafiahMHKunjuramanV (2024) Tourists' intention to visit green hotels: building on the theory of planned behaviour and the value-belief-norm theory. Journal of Tourism Futures10(2): 255–276.
15.
FissPC (2011) Building better causal theories: a fuzzy set approach to typologies in organization research. Academy of Management Journal54(2): 393–420.
16.
FornaraFMolinarioEScopellitiM, et al. (2020) The extended value-belief-norm theory predicts committed action for nature and biodiversity in Europe. Environmental Impact Assessment Review81: 106338.
17.
GoodwinHFrancisJ (2003) Ethical and responsible tourism: consumer trends in the UK. Journal of Vacation Marketing9(3): 271–284.
18.
GrozaMDPronschinskeMRWalkerM (2011) Perceived organizational motives and consumer responses to proactive and reactive CSR. Journal of Business Ethics102: 639–652.
19.
GuptaASharmaR (2019) Pro-environmental behaviour of adventure tourists: an applicability of value belief norm theory. Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal67(3): 253–267.
20.
HairJFHultGTMRingleCM, et al. (2017) A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage.
21.
HairJFBlackWCBabinBJ, et al. (2020) Multivariate Data Analysis. 8th edition. Cengage.
22.
HassanSBSolimanM (2021) COVID-19 and repeat visitation: assessing the role of destination social responsibility, destination reputation, holidaymakers’ trust and fear arousal. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management19: 100495.
23.
Jeju Tourism Organization (2023) Jeju tourism at a glance. https://ijto.or.kr/
24.
JuvanEDolnicarS (2017) Drivers of pro-environmental tourist behaviors are not universal. Journal of Cleaner Production166: 879–890.
25.
KangEJScottNLeeTJ, et al. (2012) Benefits of visiting a ‘dark tourism’ site: the case of the Jeju April 3rd Peace Park, Korea. Tourism Management33(2): 257–265.
26.
KiatkawsinKHanH (2017) Young travelers’ intention to behave pro-environmentally: merging the value-belief-norm theory and the expectancy theory. Tourism Management59: 76–88.
27.
KimMJHallCM (2022) Is walking or riding your bike when a tourist different? Applying VAB theory to better understand active transport behavior. Journal of Environmental Management311: 114868.
28.
KimJSHanSH (2019) The effect of values of nature-based outdoor recreation on environmental policy support through particulate matter risk perception and ascription of responsibility: an application of VBN (Value-Belief-Norm). International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research33(3): 5–20.
29.
KimHLoveC (2015) The influence of personal and social determinants on tourists’ destination choices: a review. Journal of Travel Research54(4): 436–450.
30.
KimMSThapaBKimH (2018) International tourists' perceived sustainability of Jeju Island, South Korea. Sustainability10: 73.
31.
KimMJHallCMKwonO (2023a) Space tourism: do age and gender make a difference in risk perception?Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management57: 13–17.
32.
KimMJHallCMKwonO, et al. (2023b) The effects of individual and organizational interventions on space tourism: applying EMGB and fsQCA. Current Issues in Tourism26(9): 1389–1393.
33.
KimMJHallCMChungN, et al. (2024a) What makes tourists use public transport? Value-belief-norm theory, environmental, social, and governance factors, and the sustainable development goals. Journal of Travel Research63(6): 1426–1441.
34.
KimMJHallCMKwonO, et al. (2024b) Effects of value-belief-norm theory, ESG, and AI on space tourist behavior for sustainability with three types of space tourism. Journal of Travel Research63(6): 13595.
35.
KorsgaardMARobersonL (1995) Procedural justice in performance evaluation: the role of instrumental and non-instrumental voice in performance appraisal discussions. Journal of Management21(4): 657–669.
36.
LandonACKyleGTKaiserRA (2017) An augmented norm activation model: the case of residential outdoor water use. Society & Natural Resources30(8): 903–918.
37.
LandonACWoosnamKMBoleyBB (2018) Modeling the psychological antecedents to tourists’ pro-sustainable behaviors: an application of the value-belief-norm model. Journal of Sustainable Tourism26(6): 957–972.
38.
LeeTHJanFH (2019) Can community-based tourism contribute to sustainable development? Evidence from residents; perceptions of the sustainability. Tourism Management70: 368–380.
39.
LeeSJParkHKimKH, et al. (2021) A moderator of destination social responsibility for tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors in the VIP model. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management20(1): 100610.
40.
LeeJHJooDLeeCK, et al. (2022) The role of residents' sustainable intelligence in agricultural heritage site management: insights from PLS-SEM and Fs/QCA. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management52: 65–74.
41.
LinYHLeeTH (2020) How do recreation experiences affect visitors’ environmentally responsible behavior? Evidence from recreationists visiting ancient trails in Taiwan. Journal of Sustainable Tourism28(5): 705–726.
42.
LinYHLeeTH (2022) Does the perception of sustainability matter for environmentally responsible behavior? Empirical evidence from national park residents. International Journal of Tourism Research24(4): 593–609.
43.
LindHBNordfjærnTJørgensenSH, et al. (2015) The value-belief-norm theory, personal norms and sustainable travel mode choice in urban areas. Journal of Environmental Psychology44: 119–125.
44.
MaoRYZhangHQ (2014) Structural relationships among destination preference, satisfaction and loyalty in Chinese tourists to Australia. International Journal of Tourism Research16: 201–208.
45.
MegeirhiHAWoosnamKMRibeiroMA, et al. (2020) Employing a value-belief-norm framework to gauge Carthage residents’ intentions to support sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism28(9): 1351–1370.
46.
MehmetogluM (2010) Factors influencing the willingness to behave environmentally friendly at home and holiday settings. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism10(4): 430–447.
47.
OlyaHKimNKimMJ (2023) Climate change and pro-sustainable behaviors: application of nudge theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism32(6): 1077–1095.
48.
PodsakoffPMMacKenzieSBLeeJY, et al. (2003) Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology88(5): 879–903.
49.
Pulido-FernandezJICardenas-GarciaPJEspinosa-PulidoJA (2019) Does environmental sustainability contribute to tourism growth? An analysis at the country level. Journal of Cleaner Production213: 309–319.
RezapouraghdamHAkhshikAStrzeleckaM, et al. (2024) Fascination, place attachment, and environmental stewardship in cultural tourism destinations. Tourism Recreation ResearchDecember: 1–17. DOI: 10.1080/02508281.2024.2434793.
SantosMCVeigaCSantosJAC, et al. (2022) Sustainability as a success factor for tourism destinations: a systematic literature review. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes14(1): 20–37.
54.
SinhaRSolimanMBatabyalD, et al. (2024) A comprehensive framework of sustainable consumption behaviour in tourist destinations: a cross-country study. Tourism and Hospitality Research14673584241310039. DOI: 10.1177/14673584241310039.
55.
Solis-RadillaMMCarvache-FrancoMCarvache-FrancoO, et al. (2021) Motivations as predictive variables of satisfaction and loyalty in coastal and marine destinations: a study in Acapulco, Mexico. International Journal of Tourism Cities7(3): 767–782.
56.
SternPCDietzTAbelT, et al. (1999) A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: the case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review6(2): 81–97.
57.
StoneM (1974) Cross-validatory choice and assessment of statistical predictions. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society - Series B: Statistical Methodology36(2): 111–147.
58.
SuLHuangY (2019) How does perceived destination social responsibility impact revisit intentions: the mediating roles of destination preference and relationship quality. Sustainability11(1): 133.
59.
SuLSwansonSR (2017) The effect of destination social responsibility on tourist environmentally responsible behavior: compared analysis of first-time and repeat tourists. Tourism Management60: 308–321.
60.
SuLHuangSHuangJ (2018) Effects of destination social responsibility and tourism impacts on residents’ support for tourism and perceived quality of life. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research42(7): 1039–1057.
61.
SuLGongQHuangY (2020) How do destination social responsibility strategies affect tourists’ intention to visit? An attribution theory perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services54: 102023.
62.
TranPKTNguyenHKTNguyenLT, et al. (2023) Destination social responsibility drives destination brand loyalty: A case study of domestic tourists in Danang city, Vietnam. International Journal of Tourism Cities9(1): 302–322. DOI: 10.1108/IJTC-03-2022-0069.
63.
UysalMEl RoubiMS (1999) Artificial neural networks versus multiple regression in tourism demand analysis. Journal of Travel Research38(2): 111–118.
64.
YıldırımBÇSemizGK (2019) Future teachers’ sustainable water consumption behavior: a test of the value-belief-norm theory. Sustainability11(6): 1558.
65.
ZhangJZhangY (2018) Carbon tax, tourism CO2 emissions and economic welfare. Annals of Tourism Research69: 18–30.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
