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A mediated moderation model of eco-guilt, personal and social norms and religiosity triggering pro-environmental behavior in tourists

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Abstract

The pro-environmental tourist behavior is pivotal to the success of any sustainable tourism initiative. Destination marketing campaigns based on sustainability depend on the acceptance of tourists. Anchored in cognitive dissonance theory and Norm Activation Model, the feeling of eco-guilt triggers pro-environmental behavior (PEB) among tourists, whereby personal and social norms mediate, and the religiosity of tourists moderates this relationship. The data collected through a questionnaire from 788 tourists was tested for reliability and validity. The findings show that eco-guilt, serving as a motivating factor, triggers the adoption of PEB among tourists. Personal norms fully mediate the relationship between eco-guilt and PEB of the tourists; however, only the indirect effect of social norms was found significant. The religiosity of tourists positively moderated the effect of norms on PEB. The mediated moderation model proved a positive moderating effect of religiosity on the mediated relationship between eco-guilt and tourist PEB. Therefore, eco-guilt can be strategically used in marketing campaigns for the long-term engagement of tourists. Also, religious institutions can be positively engaged in proliferating the tourism industry to promote PEB among tourists. The PEB is essential for a climate change-vulnerable country like Pakistan, particularly in the northern areas, which attract the bulk of tourists. Therefore, sustainable tourism is needed to keep this industry growing without harming the natural beauty of tourist attractions.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

    Sami Ullah

  2. Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China

    Bei Lyu

  3. COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

    Tooba Ahmad

  4. University of Jhang, Jhang, Pakistan

    Abdul Sami

  5. University of Technology and Applied Sciences Ibri, Ibri, Oman

    Mohit Kukreti

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  1. Sami Ullah
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  2. Bei Lyu
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  3. Tooba Ahmad
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  4. Abdul Sami
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  5. Mohit Kukreti
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Correspondence to Sami Ullah.

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Ullah, S., Lyu, B., Ahmad, T. et al. A mediated moderation model of eco-guilt, personal and social norms and religiosity triggering pro-environmental behavior in tourists. Curr Psychol 43, 6830–6839 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04894-6

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