• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.469-482
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• 2024

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine tourists' intentions toward carbon-neutral behavior within the tourism industry. Specifically, it focuses on the tourists, who are the consumers of tourism activities, rather than the perspective of tourism providers. The study investigates the impact of tourists' carbon-neutral tourism behavior, using the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory. Design/methodology/approach - A face-to-face survey was conducted with tourists who visited tourist sites in Busan. As a result, a total of 347 valid responses were collected, which were then used to test the proposed research model and seven hypotheses. Findings - Examining the structural relationships revealed that all seven hypotheses were statistically significant and supported. The three proposed values had a positive impact on the new environmental paradigm(H1,H2,H3). The new environmental paradigm significantly influenced awareness of consequences(H4), which in turn positively affected ascription of responsibility(H5). The ascription of responsibility significantly impacted personal norms(H6), and finally, personal norms had a positive impact on carbon-neutral tourism intentions(H7). Research implications or Originality - Various academic fields, both domestically and internationally, are recognizing the risks of the climate crisis and conducting research related to carbon neutrality. However, in the field of tourism studies, research specifically focused on carbon-neutral tourism remains quite limited. Therefore, this study aims to understand the carbon-neutral behaviors of tourists. Based on this understanding, the study provides practical implications for tourism providers.