Mechanism by Which Environmental Education Influences Pro-Environmental Behavior in Wuyishan National Park, China

Xinyi Wu, Weiguo Jia () and Tianyu Wu
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Xinyi Wu: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Weiguo Jia: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Tianyu Wu: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: Environmental education is one of the main functions of China’s national parks, and it also plays a crucial role in the construction of an ecological civilization. Compared with the rest of Asia, the inception of national parks in China occurred relatively late, and fostering tourists’ pro-environmental behavior is a challenging endeavor. According to the theoretical paradigm of stimulus–organism–response (SOR), in this study, we selected place attachment, environmental attitude, and environmental quality to construct a theoretical model of the relationship between the perception of environmental education and pro-environmental behavior. We conducted a sample survey of 728 tourists who had been to Wuyishan National Park and constructed a structural equation model. Our findings indicate the following: (1) pro-environmental behavior is directly and significantly promoted by one’s perception of environmental education, place attachment, and environmental attitude; (2) place attachment and environmental attitude play an intermediary role between one’s perception of environmental education and pro-environmental behavior; and (3) the quality of the external environment positively influences the correlation between one’s perception of environmental education and place attachment. This study provides solutions and suggestions for Wuyishan National Park to improve the effectiveness of environmental education regarding tourists’ pro-environmental behavior.

Keywords: environmental education; pro-environmental behavior; Wuyishan National Park; structural equation model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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