How do residents respond to negative environmental impacts from tourism? The role of community participation in empowering residents' environmentally responsible behavior

• Published in: The international journal of tourism research Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 1099 - 1111
• Main Authors: Xu, Songjun, Hu, Yaou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-11-2021; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Citizen participation; community participation; ecotourism; Empowerment; environmentally responsible behavior; perceived negative environmental impacts; support for tourism development; Tourism
• ISSN: 1099-2340; 1522-1970
• DOI: 10.1002/jtr.2471

This study examined a model linking perceived negative environmental impacts, support for tourism development, environmentally responsible behavior (ERB), and community participation in the ecotourism setting. The findings reveal that perceived negative environmental impacts restrained residents' ERB. This relationship was mitigated by the moderation of community participation such that the suppression effect of perceived negative environmental impacts on ERB became less strong as community participation increased. Moreover, support for tourism development mediated the moderating effect. This study provides novel insights on understanding residents' attitudes and behaviors towards environmental impacts and identifying the role of community participation in empowering residents' ERB. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.