The impact of behavioral reference on tourists' responsible environmental behaviors

Human behavior is affected not only by individuals' own psychological factors but also by the surrounding environment and the behaviors of others. Existing studies on tourists' responsible environmental behaviors tend to focus only on tourists' own psychological and environmental factors while ignoring the referential role of other people's behavior. The behavioral reference of others in tourist destinations is an important situational factor that affects tourists' responsible environmental behaviors and has important research value. Based on the theory of planned behavior and taking the Zhongshan Mausoleum Scenic Area as an example, this paper explores the influence of other people's behavioral reference on tourists' responsible environmental behaviors by using the multi-group analysis method of structural equation modelling. The results show the following: (1) Tourists' attitudes toward environmental behavior and subjective norms have a significant positive impact on their responsible environmental behavioral intention, perceived behavioral control has a significant positive impact on their responsible environmental behavioral intention and their responsible environmental behaviors, and responsible environmental behavioral intention has a significant positive impact on responsible environmental behaviors. (2) Tourist destination behavioral reference plays a positive regulatory role in the relationship between tourists' responsible environmental behavioral intention and responsible environmental behaviors. Accordingly, this paper proposes relevant countermeasures and suggestions for the high-quality management and development of tourist destinations. [Display omitted] •We introduced behavioral reference to research responsible environmental behaviors.•Multi-group analysis was applied to test the regulatory role.•Tourists actively participated in responsible environmental behaviors.•Regulatory role of behavioral reference was verified.