Determinants of evolving responsible tourism behavior: Evidences from supply chain

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the study was to identify and investigate the determinants of “responsible tourism behavior” with a view to suggest policy implications contextualizing Pakistan. Research Methods: The quantitative research was structured to determine the prevailing levels of tourism behavior and its corresponding determinants as observed along the continuum between irresponsible and responsible tourism. Data was collected from 700 positively retrieved questionnaires out of the 800 self-administered questionnaire amongst respondents from the tourism stakeholders. The reliability and validity were checked through Cronbach-Alpha and the CFA model followed by correlation analyses verifying the set of hypotheses. Findings: The study determined that quality of responsible behavior is dependent upon: quality of institutional policies, purpose built environmental friendly infrastructure, tourism carrying capacity, community involvement, interconnected network of diverse tourism support services, destination-specific promotion and growth strategies, development of human capital, and satisfaction of tourists across tourism supply chain. The study found negative footprints of tourism behavior along the destinations located close to the urban centers, whereas, remote destinations were found positively sustaining their environmental capitals. Implications: The study implications suggested measures to prevent negative footprints of tourism influx, regenerate the natural capital and spread socio-economic benefits across communities and destinations.