Volunteer tourists’ environmentally friendly behavior and support for sustainable tourism development using Value-Belief-Norm theory: Moderating role of altruism

Jeju Island in South Korea is a popular tourism destination designated as a biosphere reserve by the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO. However, a rapid influx of tourists into the island has caused major environmental problems, which may be reduced through volunteer tourism. This study predicts volunteer tourists' support for sustainable tourism development by applying the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and the concept of altruism. The study collected 308 responses from volunteer tourists who participated in an environmental program called Clean Olle. The findings confirmed the relationships between tourists' values, beliefs, and personal norms that predicted environmentally friendly behavior and support for sustainable tourism. Altruism, an important motivation for volunteering, reinforced tourists' environmentally friendly behavior. The study contributes to better understanding the volunteer tourists' role in sustainable tourism development and provides suggestions for destination management organizations (DMOs) in developing volunteer programs that motivate tourists’ altruism to engage in environmentally friendly behavior. •This study predicted volunteers' support for sustainable tourism.•Volunteers who participated in the Clean Olle program were surveyed in Korea.•Values, beliefs, and personal norms predicted volunteers' eco-friendly behavior.•Eco-friendly behavior influenced volunteers' support for sustainable tourism.•Altruism reinforced volunteers' eco-friendly behavior.