The Impact of Perceived Value, Social Norms, Destination Context and Psychological Ownership on Low-Carbon Tourism Behaviour in Chinese Rural Tourism

Authors

  • Luqin Zhu

    Chakrabongse Bhuvanarth International College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
  • Chonlavit Sutunyarak

    Chakrabongse Bhuvanarth International College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.13086
Received: 28 January 2025 | Revised: 7 March 2026 | Accepted: 12 March 2026 | Published Online: 3 June 2026

Abstract

This study aims to identify the factors influencing low-carbon tourism behaviour among visitors to China's rural tourism destinations; empirically examine the elements affecting such behaviour; and develop a model to promote low-carbon tourism behaviour among rural visitors and provide practical guidance for implementation. A questionnaire survey was conducted among visitors to the ancient villages of Xidi and Hongcun (a UNESCO World Heritage site) in southern Anhui Province. Empirical analysis was performed on 620 valid questionnaires collected. Through CFA and SEM, a model for low-carbon tourism behaviour was constructed and validated. Low-carbon tourism destination context, perceived value of low-carbon tourism, social norms, and psychological ownership all exerted positive influences on low-carbon tourism behaviour. Psychological ownership served as a mediating factor. Among these, the low-carbon tourism destination context emerged as the most significant influencing factor. The model explains 60.4% of the variance in the dependent variable of low-carbon tourism behaviour (R2 = 0.604), demonstrating excellent explanatory power. In the sustainable development of low-carbon rural tourism, governments, communities and tourism enterprises should establish comprehensive measures encompassing the creation of low-carbon environments in rural tourism destinations, enhancing travellers' perception of low-carbon tourism value, social norms and psychological ownership. Future research is recommended to expand case studies and explore other potential influencing factors.

Keywords:

Low-Carbon Tourism Behaviour; Low-Carbon Tourism Destination Context; Perceived Value of LowCarbon Tourism; Social Norms; Psychological Ownership

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How to Cite

Zhu, L., & Sutunyarak, C. (2026). The Impact of Perceived Value, Social Norms, Destination Context and Psychological Ownership on Low-Carbon Tourism Behaviour in Chinese Rural Tourism. Research in Ecology, 8(3), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.13086

Issue

Vol.8, Iss.3 (June 2026)(In Progress)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2026 Luqin Zhu, Chonlavit Sutunyarak

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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