ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AT DESTINATION LEVEL: THE ROLE OF TOURIST CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Tourist citizenship behavior (TCB) has become a key part of tourist destination management. This study explores how TCB can help tourist destination sustainability. A model is proposed to analyze the relationship between TCB and tourist environmentally responsible behavior. The study also examines which factors are part of this process. Specifically, the influence of the perceived sustainability of a destination on TCB is analyzed, with mediation by destination identification and perceived value. The results show that perceived sustainability is positively associated with destination identification and perceived value. These two variables are related to greater TCB. TCB is positively related to environmentally responsible behavior. Accordingly, TCB could encourage tourists to care for the environment by acting as if they were more than just tourists. Implications for destination management organizations are provided to improve destination sustainability and promote both TCB and environmentally responsible behavior among tourists.