The effect of destination social responsibility on residents’ pro-environmental behaviors in Da Lat City

Abstract

This study applies the SOR (Stimulus – Organism – Response) cognitive-emotional-behavioral theoretical model to examine how destination social responsibility impacts residents’pro-environmental behaviors through positive emotions, destination preference, and destination attachment. The SOR model is an approach to psychology that studies specific situations and environments and allows researchers to take a closer look at the psychological and socio-emotional influences on human behavior. On that basis, an integrated model was proposed and tested using survey data from Dalat, a city in Vietnam. The research was conducted based on a survey of 351 residents. On that basis, linear structural modeling (SEM) is used to learn and analyze the impact relationships between variables in the research model. Research results show that awareness of destination social responsibility has a positive impact on residents’ environmentally responsible behaviors through three intermediate factors: positive emotions, destination preference; and destination attachment, which have a positive influence on residents’ pro-environmental behaviors. Meanwhile, destination social responsibility also impacts in the same direction as positive emotions and destination preference; Both positive emotions and destination preference have a positive impact on destination attachment. In addition, the study’s results of the study also show that destination social responsibility does not directly affect residents’ pro-environmental behaviors, but only has an indirect impact through three intermediary factors such as positive emotions, destination preference and destination attachment. These research results not only clarify the relationship between tourism destination social responsibility and residents’ environmentally responsible behaviors but also have a certain significance in providing practical guidance for destination operators to develop effective destination social responsibility messages that promote environmentally responsible activities among residents. The research results are also a good reference for stakeholders such as destination management organizations and local tourism service providers in working towards sustainable tourism development.