Nudge pro-environmental contagion: Residents to tourists

Abstract

Drawing on social contagion theory, nudge theory and norm activation theory, this study investigates how residents' pro-environmental behaviour may influence tourists' behaviour, thus, collaboratively achieving a tourist destination's sustainability. Findings from a field experiment and three scenario experiments confirm that tourists have a stronger intention to behave pro-environmentally in those destinations where residents also display pro-environmental behaviour, and the tourists' perceptions of pro-environmental atmosphere mediates this effect. Furthermore, moral inspiration is found to be a mediating effect between perceived pro-environmental atmosphere and tourists' pro-environmental intentions, while the field cognitive style of tourists moderates this effect. These findings fill the research gap of social contagion theory in tourism and contribute to nudge theory on the mechanisms of encouraging pro-environmental behaviours.