College youth travelers' eco-purchase behavior and recycling activity while traveling: an examination of gender difference

Abstract

With the limited research about youth tourists' pro-environmental behaviors, this study was designed to examine the formation of college youth tourists' eco-friendly purchase and recycling behaviors while traveling to tourist destinations. A quantitative approach with a structural analysis was used. Our results revealed that the proposed theoretical framework satisfactorily accounted for the variance in eco-purchase and recycling behaviors. The hypothesized associations among eco-concern, attitude, social norm, anticipated affects, and sense of obligation were in general supported, and such relationships contributed to triggering pro-environmental behaviors. Findings also indicated the mediating impact of moral obligation, attitude, and negative affect, and identified the salient role of moral obligation in determining eco-purchase and recycling activities. A test of metric invariance further explored the gender difference that exists in the relationships between eco-concern and anticipated affects and between attitude and moral obligation. This research provides meaningful insights into understanding college youth tourists' sustainable tourism behaviors.