Document Type : ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Author
School of Business and Communication Arts, University of Phayao, Thailand
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Low-carbon tourism was recognized as a crucial contributor to mitigating the effects of climate change; however, tourists often failed to translate pro-environmental intentions into actions. This study examined the influence of Digital Information Perception, the perceived credibility and usefulness of online information, and Social Media Engagement, the active interaction with social media content and peer networks, the perceived behavioral control through social media, on pro-environmental attitudes among urban, well-educated, and digitally literate seniors. The research aimed to identify the predictors of intention and behavior toward low-carbon tourism within a digital context.
METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 400 respondents. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling to test the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model incorporating digital constructs. The variables included DIP, SME, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and low-carbon behavior.
FINDINGS: The primary evidence from the SEM analysis reveals the significant predictors of intention to adopt low-carbon practices. The mean score discrepancy highlights the large gap between pro-environmental intentions and actual behaviors, with 78% of respondents reporting high pro-environmental intentions, reflected in a mean score of 4.29, in contrast to only 54% exhibiting consistent low-carbon behaviors, indicated by a lower mean score of 2.56. Additionally, the beta coefficient for the pathway from behavioral intention to low-carbon tourism behavior was found to be β = 0.610, emphasizing its strong influence in the model. These findings underscore the substantial intention–behavior gap in the context of low-carbon tourism among urban seniors.
CONCLUSION: The model fit was satisfactory, with indices indicating a good fit (CFI > 0.90, RMSEA < 0.08). This supports the validity of the extended Theory of Planned Behavior model in predicting low-carbon tourism intentions among urban seniors. This suggests that seniors find the credibility and usefulness of general online information (DIP) more influential for intention than active interaction with social media. So, to develop eco-friendly tourism among elders, the focus should be on low-carbon tourism options. Due to purposive, non-random sampling of urban, digitally literate seniors, the results should be interpreted as exploratory; future studies should employ representative and longitudinal designs to examine the persistence of low-carbon behaviors over time.
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