Understanding The Effects Of Air Pollution On Tourists’ Pro-Environmental Behavioural Intention

Air pollution is a global environmental problem that influences people’s daily life.With the growing concern for air pollution in tourism,as well as the increasing importance of promoting sustainable tourism,the present research investigates how air pollution influences tourists’ pro-environmental behavioural intention.We propose that air pollution would inhibit tourists’ pro-environmental behavioural intention by increasing anxiety,and this inhibitive effect could be moderated by the tourism nostalgia.In Study 1,we recruited 104 participants and randomly assign them into a polluted traveling situation or a clean traveling situation,exploring the causal relationship between air pollution and tourists’ pro-environmental behaviour both explicitly(using the self-report questionnaire)and implicitly(using the Brief Implicit Association Test).Results revealed air pollution would decease tourists’ intention to behave proenvironmentally when traveling.In Study 2,we recruited 108 participants and adopted a similar design with Study1.Results supported the findings of study 1 and further revealed the mediating effect of anxiety in the relationship between air pollution and tourists’ pro-environmental behavioural intention.Study 3 subsequently confirmed the findings of study 1 and 2 by using a field experiment method,as well as further exploring the moderating role of tourism nostalgia(i.e.,a moderated mediation model).Specifically,we investigated a real sample of tourists in a famous nostalgic scenic spot of China – we invited 182 tourists on a heavily air polluted day and 168 tourists on an air clean day(without air pollution)to fulfil our questionnaire during their sightseeing.Results confirmed the laboratory findings of study 1 & 2 and indicated the buffering effect of tourism nostalgia in a real traveling context.To conclude,air pollution inhibits tourists’ pro-environmental behavioural intention by increasing anxiety,but this effect could be moderated by tourism nostalgia.The current research advances the understanding of air pollution’s impact mechanisms on people’s environmental intention & behaviour,and provides practical advices for a more sustainable tourism and environmental management.