Unlocking Environmental Knowledge for Pro-Environmental Behavior: Insights From a World Natural Heritage Site in China

Abstract

Tourists' pro-environmental behavior (PEB) is crucial for the preservation of natural world heritage sites. However, previous studies remain controversial on whether and how tourists' environmental knowledge converts into PEB. This paper aims to examine the relationships between tourists' environmental knowledge, environmental perception, environmental attitudes and PEB, with particular attention to two distinct environmental attitudes: ecocentric and anthropocentric. Based on 540 questionnaires collected at Danxia Mountain World Natural Heritage Site in China, results reveal that environmental knowledge indirectly affects PEB. The chain mediating effect of ecocentric attitudes and environmental perception between environmental knowledge and PEB is significant, whereas that of anthropocentric attitudes is not. Moreover, income moderates the negative impact of environmental knowledge on environmental perceptions. This study provides an integrated model that reveals the path from environmental knowledge to PEB, and offers insights for the management of natural scenic areas and the promotion of PEB among tourists.