Environmental Sustainability and Tourism: Parameters of Tourist Satisfaction at Petra Heritage Site in Jordan

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of (Employment quality, economic viability, local prosperity) on tourist satisfaction in Petra, with environmental sustainability serving as a moderator. Using a questionnaire-based survey, data were collected from a sample of tourists visiting Petra, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. The results show that economic viability, employment quality, and local prosperity have a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction. However, environmental sustainability was found to have no significant direct effect on tourist satisfaction, but it moderated the relationship between economic viability and tourist satisfaction and between local prosperity and (tourist satisfaction). The findings highlight the importance of economic sustainability and suggest that environmental sustainability should be considered as a moderating variable in the relationship between economic sustainability and (tourist satisfaction). The study provides insights that can be useful for policymakers and tourism stakeholders in designing and implementing sustainable tourism strategies in Petra.