Title

The nexus between environmentally responsible
behavior and destination attractiveness : The
mediating role of place attachment

Author(s)Abdulsalam, Marwa; Wirawan, Dony Dahana

Citation

大阪大学経済学. 2023, 73(1), p. 1-15

Version Type VoR
URL

https://doi.org/10.18910/91713

rights
Note

Osaka University Knowledge Archive : OUKA
https://ir.library.osaka-u.ac.jp/
Osaka University

Vol. 73 No. 1

OSAKA ECONOMIC PAPERS

June 2023

The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior anddestination attractiveness: The mediating role of place attachment
Marwa Abdulsalam† and Wirawan Dony Dahana‡

Abstract
Tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) is a critical external factor that
influences the attractiveness of tourism destinations. In this study, we propose that therelationship can be the other way around, where destination attractiveness encourages tourists
to be involved in ERB. Specifically, we evaluated the causal relationships between destination
attractiveness, place attachment, and ERB. Furthermore, we examined how tourists’ age andgender moderate these relationships. Based on the extant literature, relationships between thevariables were hypothesized and validated using survey data collected from individuals who
traveled to Bali Island, Indonesia. These results suggest that destination attractiveness positively
affects environmentally responsible behavior, both directly and through the mediation of place
attachment. However, this effect differs among male and female tourists. The implications of thisstudy for the development of sustainable tourism destinations are discussed.
JEL Classification: M31, M38
Keywords: tourism, destination attractiveness, place attachment, environmentally responsible
behavior

1. Introduction
Although tourism is one of the most profitable businesses worldwide, its activities may affect thequality of a destination’s environment. Tourists’ decisions to visit a place depend on the benefits
they receive from visiting it. The attractiveness of a destination is determined by various factors,
including its history, culture, and nature (Kuo et al., 2021). Failing to preserve attractive cultural andnatural elements can harm tourists’ revisit intentions and behaviors. Therefore, it is critical for tourism
industry managers to ensure that a site is attractive, rooted in deep historical and cultural artifacts,and environmentally friendly. Another critical factor influencing tourist behavior is place attachment†‡

Graduate Student, Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University
Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University

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Vol. 73 No. 1(Liu et al., 2021). Place attachment refers to the positive or negative connection between tourists andthe places they visit (Lee, 2013). Tourists have a cognitive or emotional attachment to the place they
visit, which determines how they behave during the visit. Highly attached tourists tend to develop
positive attitudes and affection, portraying responsible behavior toward the destination (Lee, 2013).
Consequently, they exhibit environmentally responsible behavior (ERB)–that is, actions directed
toward conserving the environment.
Despite increasing interest in the tourism industry worldwide, there is a lack of research on theinfluence of place attachment and destination attractiveness on the extent to which tourists are willingto engage in environmentally sustainable behavior. Moreover, it is unclear how these relationships
vary among tourists with different demographic characteristics.
This study aimed to narrow this gap in the literature. Specifically, we try to identify the relationshipbetween tourists’ intention to participate in ERB and destination attractiveness while considering place
attachment as a mediating variable. We focused on the behavior of tourists traveling to Bali Island,
Indonesia. The Island is one of the most beautiful tourist sites in Indonesia, with hospitality services,volcanic mountains, iconic beaches, golf courses, teeming wildlife, beach sports, and cultural artifacts.
It provides critical entertainment and educational centers for tourists, attracting millions of visitors
annually, making it an appropriate area for determining the relationship between tourists’ ERB anddestination attractiveness. The following research questions are addressed in this study:
1. How does the attractiveness of a destination promote ERB among tourists?
2. How is this relationship mediated by tourists’ place attachment to destinations?
3. Do age and gender influence the links between destination attractiveness, place attachment, andERB?
The primary contributions of this study are twofold: First, it deepens our understanding of how
destination attractiveness and place attachment increase ERB. These findings are critical for tourist
site management teams to boost tourists’ intentions to engage in ERB (Kivunja, 2018). Second, itdelineates the role of demographic factors (i.e., age and gender) in these relationships. Our findings
will be useful for developing an effective segmentation scheme and targeting policy for destination
marketing as well as sustainable tourism development.
2. Theoretical background and hypotheses
2.1. Environmentally responsible behavior
ERB is defined as tourist behavior that promotes the substantiality of the environment of a tourist
destination. In the tourism industry, there is increasing awareness of ERB owing to global climatechange, pollution, and environmental degradation caused by irresponsible human behaviors that harm
nature (Kuo et al., 2021). ERB involves activities that can reduce the negative impacts of travelingon the environment and improve visitors’ perceptions of being responsible for actions that benefit theenvironment. Most tourist attractions allow tourists to interact with nature directly; hence, they canbe encouraged to engage in ERB during such interactions (Kuo et al., 2021). Encouraging ERB helps
tourist sites maintain a better environment that attracts more tourists over the long term.

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The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior and destination attractiveness－3－

Responsible behaviors are actualized when an individual is aware of environmentally hazardous
materials, factors that lead to environmental degradation, and know-how to minimize environmental
degradation and conserve nature (Jahanshahi et al., 2020). People can be environmentally responsible
at any level of their engagement with nature (Lee, 2013). The extent to which people engage in ERB
depends on their educational level and the information they obtain from the Internet and mainstream
media. ERB is a voluntary behavior in which an individual knows the value of the environment andtakes responsibility for its maintenance. At the community level, people should ensure that they
have good recycling programs, water resource conservation, carbon emissions reduction, green
construction, and better disposal of garbage (Lee, 2013). Community members should also adopt tree
plantation, water conservation, renewable energy, and environmentally friendly means of transport
such as bicycles instead of vehicles that increase carbon emissions (Jahanshahi et al., 2020). At thebusiness level, recycling and reuse should be encouraged. Such activities are critical to conserving theenvironment to which individuals must be committed.
In the context of tourism, tourists must be motivated toward better environmental behaviors whentraveling to a destination. According to the value-attitude-behavior theory, the value of a subject
influences attitude, which leads to behaviors (Ajzen, 2012). Therefore, for tourists to conduct ERB,
they must first understand the value of a conducive environment and develop a positive attitude
toward nature (Fenitra et al., 2022). Therefore, it is critical for marketers to ensure that a site has value
for tourists and meets their expectations. When tourists receive value from a tourist site, a positive
attitude toward the area develops, eventually giving rise to the intention to take responsibility forconserving the area.
According to the theory of reasoned action, a person behaves in a particular manner because they
intend to act that way (Rossmann, 2020). This theory was used to predict the relationship between
attitudes and behavioral intentions. This implies that tourist site managers should ensure their tourists
have favorable attitudes so that they are motivated to conserve the environment. When satisfied,
tourists tend to engage in activities that conserve the environment. Previous studies have suggested
that satisfaction promotes tourists’ sensitivity toward the environment, which helps shape their
ERB (Liu et al., 2021). Satisfaction has also been shown to induce tourists’ emotional attachment
and positive attitudes toward a tourist site. As responsible tourism benefits the environment throughconservation and protection (Liu et al., 2021), marketers should know how to encourage tourists toengage in sustainable activities.
2.2. Destination attractiveness
Destination attractiveness can be regarded as the feelings, beliefs, and opinions of a person
toward a destination’s perceived ability to offer satisfactory services for their vacation needs. Tourist
destinations can provide visitors with different levels of satisfaction. According to Raimkulov et al.
(2021), an attraction’s primary role is to gain tourist attention so that they can consume more products
or services during their visit. Meanwhile, tourism firms try to attract tourists to their locations to
explore various attractions and artifacts. The attractiveness of a destination depends on how it can

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fulfill the needs of the tourist, offer value to their vacation, and meet their expectations (Raimkulov
et al., 2021). In this regard, a destination must have quality infrastructure rich cultural and natural
attractiveness, be environmentally friendly, have quality artifacts, and be price-friendly. Tourist
satisfaction refers to the psychological state or emotional impact associated with a tourist attraction
destination (Raimkulov et al., 2021). However, it is also known that different tourists have different
behaviors and levels of satisfaction. Thus, tourist destination managers should ensure that they
understand the dynamics of all tourists and build sites with the capability to attract and satisfy all
types of tourists. The attractiveness of a destination positively affects tourist satisfaction and increases
their loyalty to the site (Reitsamer et al., 2016). They revisit and prioritize the site because of its
attractiveness compared to other tourist sites.
As previously discussed, satisfied tourists are likely to exhibit positive behaviors to keep the site
attractive because they tend to visit the same place in the future (Raimkulov et al., 2021). Furthermore,they are likely to influence other people to visit the site and show them how to conserve theenvironment (Reitsamer et al., 2016). Therefore, the attractiveness of a tourist destination is critical toensure that more tourists revisit the site, enhance their satisfaction, and promote their loyalty, which
will ultimately lead to ERB.
Hypothesis 1. Destination attractiveness positively influences tourists’ ERB.
2.3. Place attachment
Place attachment can be regarded as an emotional affiliation between a place and person. Typically,
experience is the main attribute of increased emotional attachment to a place (Kuo et al., 2021).
If a person had an incredible experience, they would portray a positive attitude toward that place.
However, place attachment is a multidimensional construct that can be based on cause-effectrelationships. The first dimension is the person to whom attachment occurs, either individually or at
the social group level (Inalhan et al., 2021). As people may have different experiences with the place
they visit, the attachment level varies among individuals. The second dimension is the mixture of
psychological processes portrayed at the place of a visit, such as behavioral and cognitive aspects(Cross, 2015). When people are in a place to which they have an attachment, they tend to be keener
about their behaviors, mainly showing good-quality behaviors. The third dimension entails an object
in the place of the attachment that has been created. In this dimension, the visited area has specificcharacteristics, such as the place’s culture or nature, which make it a unique attachment object (Manzo& Devine-Wright, 2018). The historical or environmental nature of a place is a crucial aspect thatmakes it unique for visitors to form an attachment.
Place attachment creates social bonding and a sense of affection for a place owing to its
environmental, social, and physical characteristics. The unique memories provided by the attributesof a place create a sense of identification with the area (Inalhan et al., 2021). Usually, when tourists
or individuals affiliate themselves with a specific environment and develop a sense of belonging, it
is easier for them to identify with the place and develop an attachment to that environment. Place
identity is an affective attachment that provides a sense of belonging to a site because of the emotional

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The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior and destination attractiveness－5－

or symbolic importance of the interaction between the individual and the place (Manzo & DevineWright, 2018). Place identity refers to the beliefs, emotions, ideas, and attitudes an individual assigns
to a place. Another dimension is place dependence, defined as the perceived affiliation power between
an individual and a unique place associated with certain qualities compared with other places.
According to Alrobaee and Al-Kinani (2019), place dependence is associated with attachment to asite due to the values critical to fulfilling the needs of individuals visiting the site. In summary, place
dependence is determined by place quality and its ability to offer a solution or to meet the objectiveof the tourist (Alrobaee & Al-Kinani, 2019). Another similar concept is place expectation, which isthe perceived ability of a place to meet tourists’ expectations based on past experiences. A place must
offer solutions consistently, be accessible, and allow networking to make it dependable (Alrobaee &Al-Kinani, 2019).
Place attachment helps people to affiliate with a place and creates a positive emotional connection.
It has three components: affective, cognitive, and behavioral aspects (Kuo et al., 2021). Affective
bonds are emotional connections associated with a place such as love or happiness. Cognition isassociated with knowledge, memories, and senses of experience with a place, which are critical informing people-place bonds (Cross, 2015). Behavior is the manifestation of the above aspects thatare induced by the place-people bond. In tourism and leisure, place attachment is useful in explaining
tourist behavior during their visits to different places (Kuo et al., 2021). Tourists interact with different
artifacts, historical sites, cultures, and environments that provide unique experiences. They exhibit
different behaviors depending on the unique memories gathered at the tourist site. Typically, an
attractive place induces strong attachment, giving tourists more responsibility to protect the area andconserve its uniqueness. According to Kuo et al. (2021), the degree of emotion toward an area also
influences tourists’ intentions to preserve the site. For example, tourists may carefully return artifacts
or collect and throw garbage in garbage bins. More importantly, place attachment may result in social
bonds between visitors and residents in the area. This is because if local people have a good character,tourists who develop a sense of attachment to the place are inclined to form social bonds with thosepeople (Inalhan et al., 2021). Therefore, place attachment leads to interactions that create bonds
between people and the place, which makes individuals develop a sense of emotional feelings toward
the place; thereby committing to conservatory obligations.
Hypothesis 2. Destination attractiveness positively influences tourists’ sense of place attachment
Hypothesis 3. Place attachment positively influences ERB
2.4. Age and environmentally responsible behaviors
Age is a factor that affects a person’s behavior toward the environment. People of different ages
have different attitudes and portray varying degrees of environmental responsibility (Han et al., 2009).
Personality traits manifest differently in different age groups. Certain personality traits related tosociability and openness evolve over time, which may affect a person’s behavior. For example, young
people hold stronger values for adaptability to different social groups, whereas older people are lessinclined to adapt to changes in technology or those that pressure their social behavior (Wiernik et al.,－6－

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2016). Furthermore, elderly people are not likely to engage in ERB as it often entails the use of newtechnology and innovations or changes in their social behaviors (Wiernik et al., 2013).
Studies have also suggested that older people have strong values and ethics, leading toenvironmental conservation behaviors such as proper waste disposal, waste avoidance, and recycling.
However, they are unwilling to adopt new environment-conserving inventions and practices becauseof their increasingly conservative personalities. Contrastingly, the younger population is more
receptive to changes and technological innovations that continue to dominate the world (Wiernik et al.,2016). Thus, they are willing to accept the environmental behaviors associated with recent innovations
that conserve the environment. Young people hold a stronger attitude toward environmental change
when they become aware of the benefits of environmental conservation or the dangers of the contrary.
They are highly involved because they want to live in a clean environment and are responsible forconserving it.
However, despite the increased awareness of environmental conservation, some people still do notchange their destructive behaviors. This is greatly affected by their attitudes toward the environment
and the level of place attachment. At a younger age, people may have a strong attitude toward aplace or tourist destination. Thus, they are willing to conserve the place and revisit it in the future.
Younger people feel that they play a role in protecting the place they are attached to and maintaining
a conducive environment so that they can enjoy the place for a longer period (Sun et al., 2020).
For these people, place attachment is high, sparking positive attitudes toward preserving the placebecause of its value. However, as people age, place attachment may decrease and they may behave
less responsibly (Sun et al., 2020). This may be because older people feel that they may not live long,
thereby reducing their likelihood of engaging in ERB.
2.5. Gender and environmentally responsible behavior
Gender is a critical determinant of pro-environmental behavior. Both men and women have different
attitudes toward environmental issues and different degrees of place attachment. Ecofeminism argues
that women are more active than men in protecting the environment. Furthermore, women are moresocial, caring, cooperative, and helpful than men (Sakellari & Skanavis, 2013). Thus, women are more
inclined and enthusiastic about social bonds with nature, portraying a higher level of ERB than men.
Moreover, women are more sensitive to the environment than males because of their psychologicalcharacteristics. Specifically, they engage more in green travel and water conservation and reduce
waste production through proper disposal.
Additionally, women have a higher place attachment than men, making them more environmentally
responsible than men (Kaya, 2015). Furthermore, the emotions and feelings associated with various
recreational sites make women conserve their environment, making them friendlier, and maintaining agood image (Kaya, 2015). In contrast, men do not typically have strong bonds to places, develop lessemotional attachment, and exhibit fewer ERB tendencies.
Hypothesis 4. Age and gender moderate the relationship between destination attractiveness, place
attachment, and ERB.

Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual model of the empirical relationships examined in this study.
In the following section, we describe the data and methods used to validate the hypothesized
relationships.
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The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior and destination attractiveness－7－
Figure 1. Conceptual model of this study

Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual model of the empirical relationships examined in this study. In thefollowing section, we describe the data and methods used to validate the hypothesized relationships.

Figure 1. Conceptual model of this study

3. Method
3. Method

3.1 Data description

3.1 Data description

empirically validate
relationshipamong
destination
attractiveness,place attachment,
ToToempiricallyvalidatethethe
relationshipamong
destination
attractiveness,place andattachment,
ERB, wedata data
throughan onlineansurvey.
An survey.
online survey
recruited company
respondentsrecruitedand ERB,
wecollectedcollected
through
onlineAn company
online survey
respondents
travel toexperiences
to BaliDuring
Island,Duringthe survey,
with travelwith
experiences
Bali Island, Indonesia.
the Indonesia.
survey, we asked
respondents
to providewe asked
respondents
toprovideinformation
regardingtheirgender,age,
monthly
householdincome, andinformation regarding their gender, age, monthly household income, and visiting frequency. They
visiting
frequency.
They
were
also
asked
to
answerquestionsregardingtheirreasons
for visiting
were also asked to answer questions regarding their reasons for visiting the island, their level of place
the island, their level of place attachment, and the ERB they undertook while visiting the island.
attachment, and the ERB they undertook while visiting the island. A total of 800 questionnaires were
A totalof 800 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents, 750 of which were valid for
distributed
to thesample
respondents,
750 of which
were
valid foranalysis.
final
sampleconsistedof 450analysis.
The final
consistedof 450
women(60%)
andThe300
men(40%).
Approximately
70
women
(60%)
and
300
men
(40%).
Approximately
70
percentoftherespondents
took
three
or
more
percent of the respondents took three or more trips. Additionally, most respondents earn more than$ 2000monthly.
trips.
Additionally, most respondents earn more than $ 2000 monthly.
Figure 2 shows the distribution of the respondents’ ages for men and women. As can be seen from

Figure 2 shows the distribution of the respondents’ ages for men and women. As can be seenin the age group of 40–49 years were 42 and 43 for the female and malefrom thethefigure,figure,respondents
respondents
in the age group of 40–49 years were 42 and 43 for the female andgroups,respectively.
These
numbers
are the highest
among
all otherage groups
in themale groups, respectively. These numbers
are thescores
highestscoresamong
all otheragesample
groups in theof thesamesame
gender.
sampleof thegender.
Figure 2. Distribution of respondents’ ages by gender
6

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50
43

Number of respondents

45
40

42
37

35
30
25

38
34

27
23

22

37

25

20
15
10
5
0

Male / Male / Male / Male / Male / Female / Female / Female / Female / Female /
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
years old years old years old years old years old years old years old years old years old years old
age groups

Figure 2. Distribution of respondents’ages by gender

3.2 Variable measurement
3.2 Variablemeasurement
This study
aimed to measure and understand the nature of emotional feelings between tourists(especially
Bali island.
oneofmillion
tourists
visit theisland tourists
annually,
This studyreturning
aimed totourists)
measureandandtheunderstandtheOvernatureemotional
feelings
betweenwith most returning tourists having high place attachment. As previously mentioned, 70 percent(especially returning tourists) and the Bali island. Over one million tourists visit the island annually,of the respondents traveled back three times. We anticipate that these tourists would have morewithmostforreturning
tourists
havingplace attachment.
Asa previously
mentioned,
70 percent
concernthe island
becauseof itshighattractiveness,develop
greater emotional
connection,andbe thewillingto protect
it by demonstrating
ERB.
primarythat
constructmeasured
washavethe numberof
respondents
traveledback three times.
WeThe
anticipate
these tourists
would
more
of return visits to the island owing to the emotional connection that fulfilled their expectations andconcern for the island because of its attractiveness, develop a greater emotional connection, andthe extent of responsible environmental behavior. Using a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly
bewilling 5to=protect
it bydemonstrating
The primaryconstructmeasured
was attachment,
the number ofdisagree,strongly
agree),
we askedERB.
respondents
to state
their levelof placetheperceivedof the place,and their willingness
to engage
intheir
ERBexpectations
while on site.
returnvisitsattractivenessto the island owing
to the emotional
connection that
fulfilled
and theextentof responsible
3.3 Model
estimationenvironmental behavior. Using a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree,
5 = strongly agree), we asked respondents to state their level of place attachment, the perceived

As depicted in the conceptual model, the dependent variables were destination attractivenessand place attachment, and the independent variable was ERB. We used partial least squares pathmodeling (PLS-PM), a method that allows the estimation of complex cause-effect relationships
withModel
an underlying
3.3
estimation variable on a path model (Sarstedt et al., 2017). The model is predictive,
explanatory, and critical for providing consistent estimations of the hypotheses. We used the
As depicted in the conceptual model, the dependent variables were destination attractiveness andSmartPLS version 4.0.8.4 in the STATA software to advance the study because of its reliability
place
attachment,
and1 theindependent
variablewas ERB.
used partialvariables.
least squares path modelingand validity.
Table
presents
the basicstatisticsof theWestandardized
attractiveness of the place, and their willingness to engage in ERB while on site.

(PLS-PM), a method that allows the estimation of complex cause-effect relationships with anunderlying variable on a path model (Sarstedt et al., 2017). The model is predictive, explanatory, andTable 1.estimations
Basic statistics
the standardized
critical for providing consistentof theofhypotheses.
We usedvariables
the SmartPLS version 4.0.8.4
in the STATA software to advance the study because of its reliability and validity. Table 1 presents thebasic statistics of the standardized variables.

7

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The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior and destination attractiveness－9－

Table 1. Basic statistics of the standardized variables
Mean

Median

min

max

SD

Age

0.000

-0.173-1.685

1.339

1.000

Destination Attractiveness

0.000

0.081

-3.660

2.285

1.000

ERB

0.000

-0.073-2.857

2.350

1.000

Gender (Male)

0.500

1.000

0.000

1.000

0.500

Place Attachment

0.000-0.089-2.580

2.403

1.000

4. Results
4.1. Measurement modelFirst, we used confirmatory factor analysis to check the reliability and validity of the constructs(i.e., destination attractiveness, place attachment, and ERB) in the measurement model. We evaluatedthe reliability of separate items, internal consistency among items, and the model’s convergent anddiscriminant validity. The table below shows Cronbach’s alphas, composite reliabilities, and averagevariance extracted for the three variables. The Cronbach’s alphas are greater than .70, implying goodinternal consistency (Kline, 2000). Moreover, the composite reliabilities of the constructs range
from 0.84 to 0.92, passing the recommended minimum value of 0.7 (Hair et al., 2016; Nunnally &Bernstein, 1994). In addition, the average variance extracted for all measures was greater than thethreshold of 0.50 (Fornell & Larcker, 1981), indicating satisfactory reliability.
Table 2. Measurement reliability and validity indicators
Cronbach’s alphaCompositereliability

Compositereliability

Average varianceextracted (AVE)

Destination attractiveness

0.841

0.849

0.882

0.559

ERB

0.936

0.937

0.948

0.723

Place attachment

0.901

0.921

0.926

0.679

We report the factor loadings of all the measurement items in Table 3. Except for items q3_5
and q1_6, we confirmed that the standardized factor loadings of all items were greater than therecommended 0.60 level and are statistically significant, suggesting that each item converged to theintended construct (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988).

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Table 3. Factor loadings of the measurement items
Items

Factor loadings

q1_1 <- Destination_Attractiveness

0.808

q1_2 <- Destination_Attractiveness

0.818

q1_3 <- Destination_Attractiveness

0.693

q1_4 <- Destination_Attractiveness

0.754

q1_5 <- Destination_Attractiveness

0.810

q1_6 <- Destination_Attractiveness

0.571

q2_1 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.799

q2_2 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.832

q2_3 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.849

q2_4 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.879

q2_5 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.876

q2_6 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.873

q2_7 <- Environmentally_Responsible Behaviour

0.840

q3_1 <- Place Attachment

0.872

q3_2 <- Place Attachment

0.884

q3_3 <- Place Attachment

0.904

q3_4 <- Place Attachment

0.911

q3_5 <- Place Attachment

0.597

q3_6 <- Place Attachment

0.728

4.2. Correlations
Table 4 lists the correlation coefficients between variables. The correlation between age anddestination attractiveness is 0.017, indicating a weak positive association between the two variables. In
contrast, age was negatively correlated with ERB, gender (Male), and place attachment. Furthermore,
destination attractiveness had a positive correlation with all four variables, and its correlations with
ERB and place attachment were 0.517 and 0.461, respectively.
As expected, ERB was positively correlated with destination attractiveness and place attachment.
Moderate and strong correlations were observed between these variables ( 0.517 and 0.687,
respectively). As for gender, the variable is positively correlated with the three constructs. Finally, thecorrelations between place attachment and destination attractiveness and between place attachment
and ERB were 0.461 and 0.687, respectively, indicating a positive association between the variables.
Table 4. Correlation coefficients
(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

1.000

0.017

-0.121-0.025-0.091(2) Destination attractiveness

0.017

1.000

0.517

0.083

0.461

(3) ERB-0.121

0.517

1.000

0.069

0.687

(4) Gender (Male)-0.025

0.083

0.069

1.000

0.148

(5) Place attachment-0.091

0.461

0.687

0.148

1.000

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The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior and destination attractiveness－ 11 －

4.3. Evaluation of the structural model
We evaluated the accuracy of our model using (adjusted) R-square. The Adjusted R-squared value
represents the number of independent variables employed to predict the target variable. This method
allows researchers to determine whether data variability can be explained using the model. The criteria
for evaluation of a model based on the R2 values are suggested by Henseler et al. (2009) and Hair etal. (2012). In particular, the R2 value of 0.75 is regarded as substantial, 0.50 is conceived as moderate,
0.26 is seen as weak, and less than 0.25 is considered very weak. Additionally, Falk and Miller (1992)
recommended that R2 values must be equal to or greater than 0.10 for the variance explained by aspecific endogenous construct to be viewed as adequate. The adjusted R-squares of our model are
shown in Table 5, indicating a moderate goodness of fit.
Table 5. Goodness of fit
Dependent variable

R-squareR-square adjusted

ERB

0.533

0.524

Place Attachment

0.246

0.235

4.4. Path coefficients and hypotheses testing
Table 6 presents the estimation results of the model coefficients. The effect of destination
attractiveness on ERB is positive and significant (). Thus, we confirmed thatthe extent to which a destination is perceived as attractive motivates tourists to engage in ERB,
supporting Hypothesis 1. Similarly, destination attractiveness positively affects place attachment), indicating that the attractiveness of a destination induces an emotional bond(

between tourists and the place. This result supports Hypothesis 2. Furthermore, we found that place
attachment significantly positively affected ERB, as expected. Thus, an emotional bond with a place
can motivate tourists to participate in preserving the value of the place, thus supporting Hypothesis 3.
Next, we examined the moderating effects of age and gender. The effect of destination attractivenesson place attachment does not appear to be influenced by the age of tourists ().

In contrast, the same effect appears to vary between men and women, where the magnitude of thecoefficient is larger for the former than the latter (). This result is different fromour expectations. Furthermore, the effect of place attachment on ERB does not seem to be influenced
by age as the coefficient is not significant (). The moderating effect of gender on

this relationship is also not significant (). Thus, among the moderating effects

examined, only gender had a significant effect on the relationship between destination attractivenessand ERB, providing partial support for Hypothesis 4.
Lastly, for the effect of control variables, we observed that age does not seem to affect place
attachment () and ERB (), suggesting that either place

attachment or ERB is not directly affected by a tourist’s age. Similarly, tourists’ engagement in ERB is
not affected by their gender (place attachment (). However, we found that gender directly affects), suggesting that men are more likely than women to develop

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place attachment, which is inconsistent with previous studies.
Table 6. Estimates of path coefficients
Destination_Attractiveness -> ERB

Path coefficients

p-value

0.268

0.000

Destination_Attractiveness -> Place Attachment

0.354

0.000

Place Attachment -> ERB

0.600

0.000

Age x Destination_Attractiveness -> Place Attachment-0.0780.426

Age x Place Attachment -> ERB

0.043

0.581

Gender (Male) x Destination_Attractiveness -> Place Attachment

0.157

0.000

Gender (Male) x Place Attachment -> ERB-0.0530.329

Age -> ERB-0.0760.404

Age -> Place Attachment-0.0890.298

Gender (Male) -> ERB-0.0740.305

Gender (Male) -> Place Attachment

0.206

0.000

5. Discussion and implications
Local governments and tourism firms endeavor to improve the attractiveness of tourist sites toattract people to visit them. An increase in the number of tourists visiting a site is expected to boost
the revenue of tourism firms and contribute to the economic development of the local area. Althoughthese consequences have been pointed out in previous studies, the relationship between destination
attractiveness and tourists’ ERB remains unknown. In this regard, this study provides the novel
finding that the attractiveness of a tourist site can motivate visitors to participate in keeping the place
attractive. This means that an attempt to increase the attractiveness of a destination will not only resultin economic benefits but also sustainable development of the tourist site. The latter consequence has
a long-term impact on the preservation of a destination, strengthening tourists’ loyalty toward thedestination.
It is also important to note that place attachment plays a mediating role in the nexus between
destination attractiveness and ERB. This implies that destination attractiveness affects ERB directly
and indirectly. Our findings suggest that the indirect effect occurs because destination attractivenessgives rise to emotional bonds between tourists and the destination, eventually leading to increased
intention to engage in ERB. These results provide a better understanding of the mechanism by which
destination attractiveness induces ERB engagement.
The results regarding the effects of demographic variables are intriguing because we anticipatedthat people’s intentions to engage in ERB would vary depending on age and gender. However, theresults reveal that neither variable influences the extent to which tourists are willing to participate inpreserving their destination. We argue that this finding may be limited to our data; therefore, external
validation using data from different tourist sites is required. Although the direct effects of age andgender were not significant, we found that the effect of destination attractiveness on ERB depended on
gender, where men were more inclined to engage in ERB than women when perceiving a destination

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The nexus between environmentally responsible behavior and destination attractiveness－ 13 －

as attractive. Although the result is somewhat counterintuitive, it suggests that local governments or
tourism firms should consider this heterogeneity when developing approaches to encourage tourists toengage in ERB.
6. Limitations and future research direction
Although this study contributes to the existing literature, it has several limitations. First, we onlyused data collected from people who visited Bali Island. Therefore, further examination using datafrom different tourist sites is required to validate the robustness of these findings. Second, although we
considered demographic variables as moderators, the results were only partially supported. We argue
that it is also important to examine the role of psychographic variables, such as a sense of belonging
and self-actualization, in governing the relationships examined in this study. Third, and more
importantly, our study does not include decision variables such as government policies and marketing
activities. Undoubtedly, it is critical to understand how tourist behavior is influenced by such policies
and activities, and how tourist responses interact with destination attractiveness and place attachment.
Future research can address this issue by combining survey data with actual data on marketing
activities and government policies.
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