Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Tourism Management
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tourman

Environmentally responsible behavior in ecotourism: Antecedents

and implications
Yen-Ting Helena Chiu a,1, Wan-I. Lee a, 2, Tsung-Hsiung Chen b, *
a
Department of Marketing and Distribution Management, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, 1 University Road, Yuanchau
District, Kaohsiung City 824, Taiwan, ROC
b
Graduate Institute of Management, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, 1 University Road, Yuanchau District, Kaohsiung City
824, Taiwan, ROC

h i g h l i g h t s

We developed a new model as to how to promote traveler’s environmentally responsible behavior.

Tourist’s perception of value is a direct determinant of environmentally responsible behavior.

Involvement and satisfaction partially mediate the impact of value perception on environmentally responsible behavior.

Overall travel experience can affect tourist’s environmentally responsible behavior.

We provide managerial implication for sustainable ecotourism.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This study explores the environmentally responsible behavior of tourists engaged in ecotourism. It
Received 21 September 2012 proposes a behavioral model in which perceived value, satisfaction and activity involvement with respect
Accepted 29 June 2013 to the eco-travel experience shape the tourist’s environmentally responsible behavior. Unlike other
studies that view environmentally responsible behavior as a generic trait, this study explores whether
Keywords: the level of environmentally responsible behavior can actually change as a result of the eco-travel
Perceived value
experience. A total of 328 valid questionnaires were obtained and analyzed using partial least squares.
Satisfaction
The results show that perceived value, satisfaction and activity involvement can promote environmen-
Activity involvement
Environmentally responsible behavior
tally responsible behavior of tourists. While perceived value directly affects environmentally responsible
Ecotourism marketing behavior, satisfaction and involvement play the roles of partial mediators in the behavioral model. Thus,
enhancing tourist’s value perception about the eco-travel activity is the first in a sequence of steps that
would strengthen environmentally responsible behavior via increasing the ecotourist’s activity
involvement and satisfaction levels. Finally, the implications for the key stakeholders in the ecotourism
industry are discussed.
Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction niche within the travel industry. Ecotourism emphasizes the nat-
ural conservation of a tourist site and therefore builds on the
Ecotourism is a form of tourism that focuses on experiencing environmental consciousness of tourists. These tourists need to
natural areas and emphasizes the appeal of environmental con- abide by local regulations and avoid damaging the natural envi-
servation (Bjork, 2000). Environmental phenomena such as climate ronment by exhibiting environmentally responsible behavior.
change have raised awareness about environmental protection and Sirakaya, Sasidharan, and Sonmez (1999) refer to ecotourism as
the maintenance of the ecology, giving rise to ecotourism as a new a new kind of tourism that does not expend resources, is educa-
tional, adventurous and focuses on undeveloped and undervisited
natural, cultural, and historical areas; the purpose of such tourism
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ886 921712819. is to understand and appreciate the natural and social culture of the
E-mail addresses: helena@nkfust.edu.tw (Y.-T.H. Chiu), wilee@nkfust.edu.tw target location. The developmental objective of ecotourism is to
(W.-I. Lee), edward.talent@msa.hinet.net (T.-H. Chen).
1 protect natural areas through production of revenue, environ-
Tel.: þ886 7 6011000x4223; fax: þ886 7 6011043.
2
Tel.: þ886 7 6011000x4226. mental education and the involvement of local residents (Ross &

0261-5177/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.06.013
322 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329

Wall, 1999). It is based on the notion that the ecological environ- According to Larsen (2007), what tourists experience is related to
ment constitutes a local resource which creates economic value by their expectations concerning the sites they visit, their psycholog-
attracting tourists. ical cognition and affection. After traveling, they will retain certain
Academic research on nature-based tourism has investigated memories. This experience influences the cognition and emotion of
different aspects of eco-tourist travel behavior and behavioral travelers, which leads to positive environmental behavior (Curtin,
intention (Kerstetter, Hou, & Lin, 2004; Trangeland, 2011). Hedlund, 2009; Zeppel, 2008). The researchers noticed that the changing
Marell, and Garling (2012) found that “tourists’ environmental behavior of tourists is related to their cognition and affection
concern, assessed as perceived importance of environmental sus- concerning travel sites. As a result, their travel experience helps us
tainability in vacation choices, is influenced by sex, age education to understand their attitude to ecotourism. As mentioned above,
and income in vacation choices” (p.27). Destination image, motiva- attitude consists of cognition, affection and behavior, and there is
tion and attitude can be used to predict future behavioral intentions an interrelation and hierarchy of effects (Reibstein, Lovelock, &
and differences in tourist environmental attitudes (Lee 2009; Luo & Dabson, 1980). From the viewpoint of standard learning hierar-
Deng, 2008; Wurzinger & Johansson, 2006). While tourists go to chy, consumers’ attitudes are developed by understanding the
ecological areas because they are attracted by the natural resources, related attributes of products/services. Their feelings in relation to
not all of them engage in positive environmental behavior. products/services are affected by the evaluation of beliefs which
Ecotourism emphasizes sustainable development of the envi- caused the relevant behavior (Solomon, 2004). From this perspec-
ronment, and environmentally responsible behavior is an envi- tive it can be argued that tourists’ overall travel experience would
ronmental conservation mechanism. Environmentally responsible have an impact on their attitude towards ecotourism and, conse-
behavior of tourists helps limit or avoid damage to the ecological quently, environmental behavior. Different travel sites offer diverse
environment. In academic research, exploration of the link between experiential values to tourists. The experience is generated through
tourists’ perceptions of the site and tourists’ environmentally the contact with and appreciation of the eco-travel site.
responsible behavior is limited. Among the limited number of This study applies the value-attitude-behavior model in
studies on environmentally responsible behavior in ecotourism, exploring the nature of environmentally responsible behavior. In
most view environmentally responsible behavior as a generic trait the research framework, perceived value and activity involvement
(Lee, 2011; Vaske & Kobrin, 2001). This study proposes a new represent the cognitive dimension of attitude, while satisfaction
framework that describes the relationship between perceived with the travel eco-travel experience constitutes the affective part
value, activity involvement, satisfaction and environmentally of attitude. These three attitudinal dimensions are modeled as key
responsible behavior of ecotourists. In particular, the framework influence factors of environmentally responsible behavior.
proposes that environmental attitudes can change as a result of the
ecotravel experience. 2.1. Perceived value

2. Theoretical foundation and hypotheses Perceived value is the feeling consumers have when buying
products or services, comparing the input and the output they
Motivational theories provide a broad framework for the received (Zeithaml, 1988). The measurement of perceived value
exploration of behavior in general, and environmentally respon- encompasses both the acquired object as well as the transaction
sible behavior in particular. The Expectancy Theory proposes that process (AI-Sabbahy, Ekinci, & Riley, 2004). Bolton and Drew (1991)
individuals engage in a specific behavior because of the outcome pointed out that value is related to service quality in relation to the
that they expect from that behavior. Behavioral motivation is costs paid by the customer, in other words, the difference between
therefore dependent on the personal evaluation of the intended customer expectations regarding service and actual service
outcome as well as the expectancy that the efforts will lead to the received. Value reflects the benefits and costs as perceived by
outcome (Vroom, 1964). Similarly, the Expectancy-Value-Theory customers in relation to tangible and intangible products, as well as
suggests that individuals first form a belief about the object/ the combination of quality, service and price (Kotler & Keller, 2006).
behavior by “evaluating” different attributes associated with that Woodruff (1997) stated that value is a source of competitive
object/behavior (Fishbein & Aijzen, 1975). The aggregate outcome advantage for corporations. In the marketing literature, perceived
of beliefs and values can be summarized in a construct called value is measured as a multi-dimensional construct, consisting of
“attitude”, which is seen as a basic determinant of actual behavior. quality, emotional, price and social aspects (Sweeney & Soutar,
The derivatives of the Expectancy-Value-Theory, the Theory of 2001), or functional, emotional, epistemic, social and situational
Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), dimensions (Sheth, Newman, & Gross, 1991).
continue their argumentation in line with this belief/value- In the tourism literature, perceived value is frequently concep-
attitude-behavior logic, and they have been used to predict tualized as the personal evaluation of the characteristics of travel
behavior in diverse settings, including tourism behavior (Han & products, such as service quality, price, emotions and social factors
Kim, 2010). All of these theoretical frameworks agree that the (Petrick, 2004). These factors determine whether product value is
evaluation of an object/behavior is an important antecedent to worth consumption and influence tourist satisfaction after trav-
actual behavior. eling (Chen & Tasi, 2007). Hence it is posited that:
In an eco-travel context, the evaluation of tourists’ experiences H1: Perceived value positively influences satisfaction.
depends on their feeling regarding the eco site and the services
provided (Chan & Baum, 2007). Blackwell, Minard, and Engel 2.2. Activity involvement
(2006) stated that feelings are a key part of the experiences of
consumers, impacting their evaluation. Positive feelings attest to Involvement refers to the extent to which a person perceives
benefits acquired from products/services. Conversely, if consumers something as being important. From the marketing perspective,
are dissatisfied with products/services, disconfirmation of expec- Zaichkowsky (1985) defined involvement as “a person’s perceived
tations will result; consequently, they will have a negative attitude relevance of the object based on inherent needs, values and in-
to the purchased products (Assael, 2004). In a tourism context, terests” (p.342). Rothschild (1984) proposed that “involvement is a
travel sites generate positive feelings to tourists and this existential state of interest, motivation or arousal” (p.216). Reid and Crompton
authenticity leaves them with positive impressions (Lew, 2011). (1993) also believed that the extent of involvement is a key variable
 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329 323

in leisure behavior; for instance, people who like to travel will pay cognition after purchases, but also sees individual satisfaction as a
more attention to relevant travel information, so involvement is the conscious experience or subjective feelings. As Mano and Oliver
concern expressed by tourists toward the characteristics and types (1993) pointed out, satisfaction results from cognition and affec-
of leisure activities that they engage in, and these factors result in tion towards a product, and also includes emotional states. In a
different perception responses. Thus, for tourists, involvement is travel context, the measurement of satisfaction is based on pre-
their main interest or emphasis in regard to their choice of travel travel expectations of tourists, and the actual formation of posi-
activities. tive feelings for the destination during or after the travel con-
According to Kyle, Absher, and Norman (2007), involvement is a sumption process (Bosque & Martin, 2008). Similarly, Tain-Cole and
reflection of individual self concept, needs and values. Therefore, in Cromption (2003) describe satisfaction as a psychological outcome
terms of leisure behavior, differences in involvement generally arise that is affective in nature and results from a positive travel expe-
from differences in individual cognition and stimulation generated rience. According to Davis, Le, and Coy (2011), when the ‘satisfac-
by travel activity. The study by Laurent and Kapferer (1985) used tion with the environment’ is positive, it can influence protective
the dimensions of product importance, pleasure, sign value ecological behavior.
attributed, and risk probability in consumer involvement profile
(CIP) to measure perceived reactions of customers to products, 2.4. Environmentally responsible behavior
showing that differences in product characteristics influence
customer perceptions toward products. Involvement shows that According to Cottrell and Graefe (1997), environmentally
tourist leisure behavior involves personal travel preferences, which responsible behavior is reflected in an individual’s environmental
influence choices in regard to participation of leisure activities, and concern, commitment and ecological knowledge. Iwata (2001)
involvement also influences different views toward participation in mentioned that environmentally responsible behavior can be
leisure activities. Thus, activity involvement can be measured in expressed through different types of behavior, such as waste
terms of attraction, self-expression and centrality in one’s life recycling and energy management. Environmentally responsible
(McIntyre & Pigram, 1992). Bloch and Richins (1983) found that behavior can be classified into environmental activism, nonactivist
consumer involvement is influenced by the perceived importance behaviors in the public sphere, and private-sphere environmen-
of the offering, and that perceived importance is dependent upon talism (Stern, 2000). In their meta-analysis Hines, Hungerford, and
individual traits, product and situational factors. Furthermore, Tomera (1987) found that knowledge of issues, knowledge of action
Iwasaki and Havitz (1998) mentioned that the involvement of strategies, locus of control, verbal commitment, and sense of re-
tourists are affected by personal characteristics, such as values, sponsibility were correlated to environmentally responsible
attitudes, motivation, needs, initial preferences and experiences. behavior. In the context of ecotourism, environmentally respon-
For example, Lee, Graefe, and Burns (2007) found that “forest vis- sible behavior is given when tourists understand the impact of their
itors who perceived higher service quality tend to higher activity behavior on the environment and abide by the norms in the eco-
involvement” (p.475). site (Puhakka, 2011). Smith-Sebasto and D’Costa (1995) measured
Many studies see involvement as an antecedent variable, and environmentally responsible behavior based on civil action,
combine it with the leisure psychological variables to explore their educational action, financial action, legal action, physical action and
correlations, such as tourist loyalty (Martin, Collado, & Bosque, persuasion action. For Thapa (2010), environmentally responsible
2013), satisfaction (Laverie & Arnett, 2000) and place attachment behavior manifests itself in political action, recycling, education,
(Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Hou, Lin, & Morais, 2005; Kyle, Graefe, green consumption and community activism.
Manning, & Bacon, 2004). These studies show that involvement can Kang and Moscardo (2006) see environmentally responsible
explain leisure behavior, proving that differences in involvement behavior as a consequence of environmental attitudes, and mea-
with leisure activities produce different tourist preferences. sure it in terms of behavioral norms in ecotourism regions, such as
Involvement is based on personal subjective perceptions regarding collecting information on destinations before travel and following
the events and objects that hold the attention of tourists. As Havitz behavioral norms. Researchers have also explored the relationship
and Dimanche (1999) noted, involvement is often conceptualized of place attachment, defined as the traveler’s experience with the
as a mediating variable, linking the purchase or consumption event travel site, on individual travel behavior (Kyle, Graefe, & Manning,
with consumer’s participation intent. Likewise, Hwang, Lee, and 2005; Smith, Siderelis, & Moore, 2010). Place attachment is
Chen (2005) concluded in their study on tourists at Taiwanese thought to include the two dimensions of place identity and place
national parks, that involvement mediates the relationship be- dependence (Jorgensen & Stedman, 2001). Several studies have
tween place attachment and interpretation satisfaction, and that explored the link between place attachment and environmentally
the improvement of satisfaction can be affected by place attach- responsible behavior, in particular. Vaske and Kobrin (2001), for
ment. Kim (2008) analyzed tourist motivation, involvement, satis- example, found that place identity mediated the relationship be-
faction and loyalty, and found that involvement plays a mediating tween place dependence and environmentally responsible
role that can predict satisfaction. Hence it is posited that: behavior. Halpenny’s (2010) study on Canadian national park visi-
H2: Perceived value positively influences activity involvement. tors also concluded that place attachment can predict environ-
H3: Activity involvement positively influences satisfaction. mentally responsible. Likewise, the study by Lee (2011) on three
sites in Taiwan showed that through commitment, place attach-
2.3. Satisfaction ment can directly or indirectly affect environmentally responsible
behavior.
Satisfaction is the cognitive difference between expectations Kerstetter et al. (2004) studied tourists in three ecological areas
and actual performance after a consumer makes a purchase (Oliver, and found that levels of environmentally responsible behavior
1977). Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994) stated that varied, depending on the types of travel motivation (i.e. experience,
customer satisfaction is related to service quality, product quality learning and ecotravel). Hungerford and Volk (1990) stated that
and price in a transaction context. Woodruff, Cadotte, and Jenkins changing individual behavior toward the environment can be
(1983) posited that satisfaction results from the confirmation and initiated by environmental education, and pointed out that per-
disconfirmation of consumer experiences related to the product. sonal experience and participation in the environment can promote
The view of Westbrook (1987) on satisfaction does not only involve environmentally responsible behavior.
324 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329

Orams (1995) also found that tourist satisfaction in ecotourism

Perceived
is dependent upon experiences, and if experiences in ecotourism H5
Value
are satisfactory, it would result in behavioral changes. For instance, H1
Otto and Ritchie (1996) defined satisfaction as the subjective feel- Environmentally
Satisfaction H4
ings of tourists when they use the services and experience sites; H2 Responsible
this includes emotional responses to target locations, resulting in H3 Behavior
an understanding of, and appreciation for, the environment. Powell
and Ham (2008) used the tourists to the Galapagos National Park as Activity H6
subjects, and the empirical results showed that guidance in Involvement
ecological areas is correlated to tourist personal satisfaction, and
the ecotourism experience can enhance the understanding for and Fig. 1. The conceptual model.
elevate support for ecological conservation, hence leading to
environmentally responsible behavior. Thus, providing a satisfac-
tory eco-tourist experience can enhance environmentally respon- centrality in one’s life) based on the study of Havitz and Dimanche
sible behavior (Higham & Carr, 2002; Lee & Moscarbo, 2005). (1997). The satisfaction scale was adapted from Okello and Yerian
Satisfaction of tourist experience needs and elevation of perceived (2009) and evaluated 4 items: maintenance of ecological environ-
value are correlated to the natural environment; therefore envi- ment, tour guide interpretation, experience, and wildlife appreci-
ronmental quality would benefit tourist experience (Coghlan, ation. For environmentally responsible behavior, 7 items were
2012). Ballanytne and Packer (2011) assert that experiences in chosen and modified based on Kerstetter et al. (2004) and Thapa
ecological areas primarily provide tourists with the opportunity to (2010). For all constructs a five-point Likert scale was adopted,
come into contact with the natural environment; besides enjoy- ranging from 1 for “strongly disagree” to 5 for “strongly agree”. The
ment and satisfaction, it can also potentially enhance tourist un- respondents’ demographic variables include gender, age, educa-
derstanding of the environment, as well as cause changes in their tional level, occupation, marital status and monthly income.
attitudes and behaviors. To sum up, tourist satisfaction with To ensure the correctness of content and formulation of ques-
ecological sites arises from services provided by operators. When tion items, the questionnaire was subject to the review of both
the travel experience produces positive feelings, tourists’ knowl- academics and practitioners. In a first step, the questionnaire was
edge of the ecological environment is also enhanced, eventually translated into Chinese and back-translated into English by aca-
leading to a more environmentally responsible behavior. Thus, it is demics. The Chinese version of the questionnaire was then sent to
hypothesized: local travel operators for a critical review and feedback. Finally, the
H4: Satisfaction positively influences environmentally respon- questionnaire underwent a pre-test, in which 30 tourists at Sicao
sible behavior. Ecological Area of Taijiang National Park in Taiwan were used as
With respect to perceived value and environmental behavior, pre-test subjects for the reliability and validity analysis of the
Russell and Russell (2010) used the norm of reciprocity to explain questionnaire.
the relationship between national parks and park visitors, stating
that if tourists could gain beneficial experiences in areas requiring 3.2. Sample design and data collection
payment, they would be more motivated to protect the environ-
ment. Moeller, Dolnicar, and Leisch’s (2011) study on eco-travelers In order to effectively measure the perceived value of tourists,
showed that the higher the travel expenditures the stronger the this study chose a travel destination that requires an admission fee,
environmental awareness. Therefore it is hypothesized that: the Sicao Ecological Area in Taijiang National Park. Tourists viewing
H5: Perceived value positively influences environmentally the flora and fauna need to pay for locally-provided tourist boats,
responsible behavior. and the site has abundant ecological resources, such as rare plants,
Regarding the relationship between involvement and environ- animal ecology, wetlands, lagoons, and additional services such as
mental behavior, Barber, Taylor, and Deale (2010) pointed out that guided tours. The survey site is both an area of ecotourism as well as
the degree of tourist involvement in the environment expressed a wildlife protection area.
their views and also affects environmental behavior. Thapa, Graefe, The questionnaires were administered to ecotourists at the
and Meyer’s (2008) study on outdoor recreation found that Sicao ecological site during spring and summer of 2012. System
increased tourist involvement in leisure specialization can promote sampling was used, that is one out of every six tourists was sampled
environmentally responsible behavior. Thus, activity involvement at the entrance of the site. Tourists willing to participate in the
can be used to understand tourists’ perceptions about travel ac- survey received a questionnaire which they submitted after
tivities and predict environmentally responsible behavior. It is completion of their eco-tour. In total, 390 questionnaires were
posited that: disseminated and 328 valid questionnaires were retrieved,
H6: Activity involvement positively influences environmentally excluding the uncompleted questionnaires, resulting in a retrieval
responsible behavior. rate of 84%.
The overall framework to describe the antecedents of environ-
mentally responsible behavior can be seen in Fig. 1. 3.3. Data analysis

3. Methodology SPSS 15.0 was used for descriptive statistical analysis and cor-
relation analysis. The latent constructs, i.e. perceived value, activity
3.1. Questionnaire design involvement, satisfaction and environmentally responsible
behavior, were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
The questionnaire in this study includes five parts (see Based on the computation technique, SEM can be grouped into two
Appendix A), which are described as follows. The measurement of types (Haenlein & Kaplan, 2004). The Maximum Likelihood Esti-
perceived value with 4 items (quality, price, emotions and social mation is based on a covariance matrix, while Partial Least Squares
value) was based on Sweeney and Soutar (2001). Activity involve- (PLS) primarily works with variance analysis. The benefit of PLS is
ment was measured using 3 items (attraction, enjoyment and that it can handle small samples, non-normal distributions and
 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329 325

Table 1 Table 3
Respondent profile. Reflective measurement.

Demographic traits Frequency Percentage (%) Latent construct Indicators Loading t-values Composite Average
reliability variance
Gender
extracted
Male 154 47
Female 174 53 Environmentally ERB1 0.73 20.47*** 0.89 0.53
Age responsible ERB2 0.77 28.19***
15e20 37 11.3 behavior ERB3 0.77 27.16***
21e30 142 43.3 ERB4 0.69 18.07***
31e40 93 28.4 ERB5 0.76 31.07***
41e50 45 13.7 ERB6 0.71 26.00***
51e60 9 2.7 ERN7 0.68 16.11***
S60 2 0.6
Note: ***p < 0.01.
Educational level
ERB: Environmentally responsible behavior.
Primary 35 10.7
High school 41 12.5
University or college 168 51.2
Postgraduate 84 25.6 extracted, the eigenvalue is greater than 1 and the explained vari-
Occupation ance is 63%. As the majority of variance was not accounted for by
Civil servant or teacher 60 18.3 one single factor, common method variance does not pose a
Laborer 32 9.8
problem in this study.
Self-employed 45 13.7
Service worker 62 18.9
Housewife 11 3.6 4. Empirical results
Student 80 24.4
Retired 9 2.7
Other 29 8.8 4.1. Sample description
Marital status
Unmarried 209 63.7 Table 1 presents the overall sample structure in this study. The
Married 119 36.3 sample is balanced in terms of gender (47% male, 53%, female
Monthly income (NT$)a
tourists) and is characterized by younger aged visitors with higher-
&20,000 95 29
20,001e40,000 106 32.3 level education (43.3% are aged 21w30 years, 51.2% have a college
40,001e60,000 85 25.9 degree). Sample demographics are similar to those of other eco-
60,001e80,000 30 9.1 tourism studies, which have reported of a predominantly younger
S80,001 12 3.7
and well-educated target group (Kerstetter et al., 2004; Lee, 2009,
a
29NT$ ¼ 1 US$. 2011). Further, the sample was drawn directly at the Sicao ecolog-
ical area, which is managed by the National Park Authorities of
Taiwan and belongs to the major ecological zones of the island.
formative constructs (Hair, Sarstedt, Ringle, & Mena, 2012). In this Hence, the sample informants can be considered to be ecotravelers
study, the data analysis is based on VisualPLS 1.04 software. and therefore qualify as questionnaire respondents.
This study uses the concepts of perceived value, activity The Table 2 verified the interrelation of four latent constructs.
involvement, satisfaction and environmentally responsible The results showed the correlation coefficient ranging from 0.44 to
behavior in order to explore the relationships among these latent 0.47, which is below the threshold value of 0.90, as suggested by
variables. The aim is to determine whether a formative construct or Kline (2005). The measurements indicate sufficient discriminant
a reflective construct is involved. In accordance with Fornell and validity.
Bookstein (1982) distinguishing objective between a formative
and reflective construct that should be considered and include the
4.2. Measurement model
theoretical and empirical contingencies. Based on this notion, the
concepts of perceived value, activity involvement and satisfaction
The measurement model is assessed to verify the reflective and
are explained by constructs. We know that the three latent vari-
formative constructs. The approach of PLS threshold values is
ables are formative constructs. Environmentally responsible
suggested by Hair, Ringle, and Sarstedt (2011). Table 3 shows the
behavior is the reflective construct as ecotourism emphasizes the
appeal of environmental protection. Tourists in the context of eco-
travel should be responsive to environmentally responsible Table 4
insights. Formative measurement.
In order to test whether this study has common method vari- Latent Indicators Weights Loading Composite Average
ance, Harmon’s one factor test is used (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, construct reliability variance
Podsakoff, & Lee, 2003). Results show that four factors are extracted

Perceived value PV1 0.37***(4.33) 0.76***(13.58) 0.86 0.60

Table 2 PV2 0.33***(3.40) 0.78***(15.06)
The correlation matrix of latent constructs. PV3 0.02(0.25) 0.70***(10.13)
PV4 0.52***(4.45) 0.84***(18.13)
Constructs Mean S.D. PV AI SA ERB
Activity AI1 0.58***(5.17) 0.92***(23.87) 0.87 0.69
PV 3.92 0.59 0.77 involvement AI2 0.42***(2.58) 0.87***(15.58)
AI 3.60 0.67 0.44** 0.83 AI3 0.15(1.32) 0.67***(7.77)
SA 3.85 0.66 0.44** 0.27** 0.83 Satisfaction SA1 0.25*(1.91) 0.80***(11.86) 0.90 0.69
ERB 4.08 0.58 0.47** 0.42** 0.43** 0.73 SA2 0.05(0.49) 0.80***(12.77)
SA3 0.58***(4.03) 0.92***(22.41)
** Denote p < 0.01; the bold numbers in the diagonal is the square roots of average
SA4 0.29**(2.24) 0.73***(10.57)
variance extracted.
PV: Perceived value; AI: Activity involvement; SA: Satisfaction; ERB: Environmen- Note: *p < 0.1; **p < 0.05; ***p < 0.01; (t-values).
tally responsible behavior. PV: Perceived value; AI: Activity involvement; SA: Satisfaction.
326 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329

Table 5 Table 6
The results of hypotheses. Direct, indirect and total effects.

Hypotheses path Cofficient t-values Result Path Direct Indirect Total

effect effect effects
H1:Perceived value / Satisfaction 0.39 6.33** Supported
H2:Perceived value / Activity involvement 0.47 10.07** Supported Perceived value / ERB 0.25 0.23 0.48
H3:Activity involvement / Satisfaction 0.10 1.60 Not supported Perceived value / Satisfaction 0.39 e 0.39
H4:Satisfaction / ERB 0.28 4.83** Supported Satisfaction / ERB 0.28 e 0.28
H5:Perceived value / ERB 0.25 4.77** Supported Perceived value / Activity involvement 0.47 e 0.47
H6: Activity involvement / ERB 0.25 4.64** Supported Activity involvement / Satisfaction e e e
Activity involvement / ERB 0.25 e 0.25
**Denotes p < 0.01; ERB: Environmental responsible behavior.
ERB: Environmentally responsible behavior.

reflective measurement model. The indicators’ loadings are mostly

above the 0.7 threshold value, with indicators ERB 4 and ERB 7 at not influence satisfaction at b ¼ 0.10, p > 0.10; satisfaction posi-
the marginal threshold. The evaluation of the formative constructs tively influences environmentally responsible behavior at b ¼ 0.28,
is based on the weight (relative importance) and the loading (ab- p < 0.01; perceived value positively influences environmentally
solute importance) of formative constructs. As Table 4 shows, all responsible behavior at b ¼ 0.25, p < 0.01; finally, the relationship
loadings are significant while some weights are not significant, the between activity involvement and environmentally responsible
reason for which may be due to sample demographic characteris- behavior is also proven at b ¼ 0.25, p < 0.01.
tics (Hair et al., 2011). As shown in Fig. 2, the model’s predictive explanatory power for
The evaluation of construct reliability and validity was based on environmentally responsible behavior refers to R-square to explain
convergent validity, discriminant validity, composite reliability and how much of the variance in the dependent variable can be
average variance extracted for latent constructs. Composite reli- explained by the independent variable. Perceived value and activity
ability from the latent constructs are greater than the threshold involvement can explain 20% of satisfaction, and perceived value
value of 0.7 (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994), demonstrating high in- can explain 22% of activity involvement. Finally, 36% of environ-
ternal consistency. The average variance extracted for all constructs mentally responsible behavior can be explained by perceived value,
exceeds the threshold value of 0.5 (Fornell & Larcker, 1981), indi- activity involvement, and satisfaction. In addition, Tenenhaus,
cating adequate convergent validity. Discriminant validity refers to Vinzi, Chatelin and Lauro (2005) suggest the inclusion of a “global
the low correlation coefficients between different constructs, and is fit measure” (GoF), defined as geometric mean of the average
measured using the square root of average variance extracted communality and average R-square in PLS path modeling. In the
(Fornell & Larcker, 1981); for instance, if each construct is greater research model, the GoF equates to 0.40, indicating the model is
than the correlation coefficients of the constructs, then it means satisfactory.
that there is discriminate validity. These values fall between 0.73 In the model of environmentally responsible behavior,
and 0.83 (Table 2). perceived value has a direct (0.25) and indirect impact (0.11, 0.12)
on environmentally responsible behavior, with total effect of 0.48
(Table 6). This shows that the perceived value of eco-travel activity
4.3. Structural model positively influences environmentally responsible behavior
directly, while satisfaction and activity involvement can addition-
Structural equation modeling is used to test the causal re- ally strengthen environmentally responsible behavior.
lationships among perceived value, activity involvement, satisfac-
tion and environmentally responsible behavior. In PLS, the path
coefficients (t-values) and R-square are used to measure the 5. Discussion and conclusions
strengths of latent variables.
In testing the correlations among perceived value, activity This study set up a model based on the value-attitude-behavior
involvement, satisfaction and environmentally responsible theory to explain the formation of environmentally responsible
behavior, the estimation values are expressed in path coefficients. behavior via tourists’ perceived value, activity involvement and
The overall results of the hypotheses are shown in Table 5. satisfaction with respect to the eco-travel experience. Unlike past
Perceived value influences satisfaction at b ¼ 0.39, p < 0.01 and studies that explore environmentally responsible behavior as a
activity involvement at b ¼ 0.47, p < 0.01; activity involvement does generic trait, the results of this study suggest that environmentally
responsible behavior unfolds during and after the delivery of the
travel experience. Higher perceived value of the eco-travel expe-
rience enhances environmentally responsible behavior; in addition,
Perceived
satisfaction and activity involvement can promote environmentally
Value
responsible behavior at ecological sites, lowering the damage to the
0.39** 0.25**
environment. This study sees activity involvement as the mediating
Environmentally variable to link perceived value and environmentally responsible
Satisfaction
0.47** behavior, confirming that tourist involvement tends to be influ-
2
R =20% 0.28** Responsible
Behavior enced by perceived value of the travel site. Perceived value which
R2=36% can motivate tourists to participate in activities and enhance their
appreciation.
Activity 0.10
0.25** Perceived value is also a strong predictor of satisfaction. This
Involvement
2
finding is consistent with Chen and Tasi (2007). Here, satisfaction
R =22%
about the eco-travel experience refers not only to travel attributes
but also includes affection as an important dimension. Thus, a
**p<0.01
number of studies argue that tourist’s satisfaction determine their
Fig. 2. Results of structural model. evaluation of these experiences. When tourists feel the benefit
 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329 327

associated with participating in such activities, they will identify 7. Limitations and suggestions for future research
themselves with the ecological environment. It will promote their
concern for and sensitivity toward the environment which, in turn, The model of environmentally responsible behavior in this
will shape environmentally responsible behavior. This finding is study has the following limitations. First, while environmentally
consistent with those of Davis et al. (2011), Higham and Carr responsible behavior is conceptualized as multi-item construct, it
(2002), Lee and Moscarbo (2005) and Orams (1995). However, it may have neglected other possibly relevant dimensions which
is worth noting that activity involvement does not influence could be explored in future research. Furthermore, this study was
satisfaction, hence an increase in activity involvement does not conducted at Taiwan’s Sicao Ecological Area, which represents an
mean their cognitions and emotions have been affected. ecological site. The framework could be tested in different types of
In conclusion, the emphasis is on perceived value as a key eco-travel settings, for example in forest areas, natural conserva-
antecedent to subsequently influence activity involvement, satis- tion areas, at wildlife sites or whale-watching tours. Future
faction and environmentally responsible behavior. research could also explore what kind of impact the frequency of
The theoretical contribution of this study is to set up a frame- eco-travels and the resulting familiarity with ecotourism would
work to explain the antecedents of environmentally responsible have on traveler’s environmentally responsible behavior.
behavior. The framework shows different pathways through which
environmentally responsible behavior can be established and Appendix A. Questionnaire
advanced during and as a result of the eco-travel experience.
Tourists travel in ecological spots because they are attracted by Perceived value
nature. The perceived value of ecotourism is based on the money
paid and the benefits obtained in a consumption calculus. There- 1. The quality of the eco-travel experience is acceptable.
fore, when providers of ecotourism can offer services that satisfy 2. The eco-travel experience is worth the money.
tourist needs, positive perceptions of ecotourism are formed, which 3. The eco-travel experience makes me feel good.
would subsequently enhance tourist satisfaction and the degree of 4. Participating in travel activity makes a good impression on
involvement in the ecotourism activity. Further, when the level of other people.
involvement increases, since tourists pay attention to the envi-
ronment, it would also deepen their psychological feelings for the
ecological areas, indirectly promoting their environmentally
Satisfaction
responsible behavior. This provides a more comprehensive expla-
nation of the importance of involvement in the model of environ-
1. Maintenance of ecological environment.
mentally responsible behavior. This behavioral model emphasizes
2. Tour guide interpretation.
that satisfaction and activity involvement have a partially medi-
3. Eco-travel experience is pleasure.
ating effect, and thus are drivers of environmentally responsible
4. Wildlife appreciation.
behavior.

6. Management implications
Activity involvement
Ecotourism is a form of travel that is based on the enjoyment of
1. Eco-travel is interesting.
natural resources while at the same time minimizing the adverse
2. Eco-travel at this place is enjoyable.
impact of travel activities on the travel sites. To ensure tourist’s
3. I share my travel experience with others.
environmentally responsible behavior, it is important to under-
stand the relationships among perceived value, activity involve-
ment, satisfaction and environmentally responsible behavior.
When tourists are satisfied with the ecotourism experience, they Environmentally responsible behavior
can also sense the importance of the environment and have a
greater understanding of the environment, which promotes their 1. I accept the control policy not to enter the wetland.
environmentally responsible behavior. Tourist activity involvement 2. I help to maintain the local environmental quality.
is affected by perceived value, so when tourists participate in 3. I report to the park administration any environmental pollution
ecotourism activities and their needs are met, they would develop a or destruction.
stronger involvement in ecotourism, which indirectly influences 4. I spend my money in the local area.
their environmentally responsible behavior. With perceived value a 5. I help other tourists to learn about the wetland.
key determinant, managerial attention must focus on the tangible 6. I sort my trash at the travel site.
and intangible benefits that are to be provided to the traveler. The 7. I try not to disrupt the fauna and flora during my travel.
design of ecotourism packages needs to build on tourist needs and
offer comprehensive services and facilities on the basis of which the
ecotourist can evaluate the travel package. Although ecotourism is Demographic traits
an obvious trend in the travel industry by far not all tourists possess
a high degree of consciousness with regard to environmental pro- 1. Gender: male, female.
tection; in accordance with the findings of this study, it is advisable 2. Age: 15e20, 21e30, 31e40, 41e50, 51e60, S60.
for decision-makers to focus in a first step on the creation and 3. Educational level: primary, high school, university or college,
delivery of value in ecotourism. For this purpose, the emphasis postgraduate.
should be on the management and planning of ecological re- 4. Occupation: civil servant or teacher, laborer, self-employed,
sources, such as improving guide activities and leisure facilities, service worker, housewife, student, retired, other.
maintaining a good environmental quality and providing an 5. Marital status: unmarried, married.
authentic ecological experience in order to strengthen tourist’s 6. Monthly income: &20,000, 20,001w40,000, 40,001w60,000,
cognition regarding the ecological environment. 60,001w80,000, S80,001.
328 Y.-T.H. Chiu et al. / Tourism Management 40 (2014) 321e329

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