Assessing the role of destination and nature-based destination image in Gen Z solo travellers pro-sustainable tourism behaviour: the moderating role of social media influencers trust

Manu Sharma (), Navneet Rawat (), Sudhanshu Joshi () and Abhishek Misra ()
Additional contact information
Manu Sharma: Graphic Era Deemed to be University
Navneet Rawat: Graphic Era Deemed to be University
Sudhanshu Joshi: Doon University
Abhishek Misra: Graphic Era Deemed to be University

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 2025, vol. 59, issue 6, No 24, 5469-5489

Abstract: Abstract The youngest group of travellers, known as Generation Z (Gen Z), exhibits unique travelling and behavioral intentions toward sustainable tourism. Solo traveling, once considered unconventional, has gained popularity among Gen Z, driven by their desire for independence, authentic experiences, and environmental consciousness. However, limited research has explored how destination imagery and social media influences shape their solo travel intentions and pro-sustainable tourism behavior. This study addresses this gap by investigating the drivers of Gen Z solo travel behavior within a sustainability framework. Gen Z is selected for this research due to their distinct characteristics: digital fluency, environmental awareness, and strong trust on social media peer influence. As an emerging dominant force in global tourism, their choices are expected to reshape sustainable tourism practices. Recognizing this, the study examines the effects of destination image and nature-based destination image on solo travelling intentions, and further explores the moderating roles of gender and social media influencer trust. A quantitative methodology utilizing structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed on data collected from 588 solo Gen Z travellers. The findings reveal a strong positive relationship between solo travelling intentions and pro-sustainable behavior. Nature-based destination image proved to have a more significant impact than general destination image in influencing sustainable travel attitudes. Furthermore, social media influencer trust was found to significantly moderate the relationship between travelling intention and pro-sustainable behavior, though it showed no moderating effect between destination image and travel intention. The study offers important theoretical and practical insights for tourism marketers and policymakers in crafting sustainable travel strategies for Gen Z.

Keywords: Solo traveller, Pro-sustainable tourism behavior, Nature based-destination image; Generation Z, Social media influence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11135-025-02224-5 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:59:y:2025:i:6:d:10.1007_s11135-025-02224-5

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/11135

DOI: 10.1007/s11135-025-02224-5

Access Statistics for this article

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology is currently edited by Vittorio Capecchi

More articles in Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().