This paper critically examines the concept of place attachment and its likely influence on proenvironmental behavioural intention of visitors. It considers place attachment as a multidimensional construct comprising place dependence, place identity, place affect, and place social bonding, and suggests that research investigating this relationship in a national park context is fragmented, scattered, and often does not fully consider its multi-dimensional nature. A coherent and integrated approach is needed to advance the field. By considering place attachment as an attitude and acknowledging the close relationship between attitude and behavioural intention when both are directed toward a particular object or environment, the paper develops a conceptual framework that integrates the different place attachment subconstructs. It presents their relationship to pro-environmental behavioural intention as a series of propositions. The framework further considers place satisfaction to exert a direct influence on visitors' pro-environmental behavioural intentions in national parks and a moderating effect on the relationship between the different place constructs and proenvironmental behavioural intention in parks. Finally, the latter construct is proposed to influence visitors' general pro-environmental behavioural intentions. The paper's theoretical contributions, its limitations and its practical implications for sustainable tourism in general and national park management in particular, are discussed.
Place attachment is a multidimensional construct comprising place dependence, place affect, place identity, and place social bonding. Yet, studies investigating the relationships between place attachment, place satisfaction, and pro-environmental behaviour have not investigated its pluralistic nature. Using data from 452 visitors to the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Australia, this study investigates these four dimensions of place attachment and their relationships with place satisfaction and proenvironmental behavioural intentions. Findings suggest that the four place attachment constructs are significantly associated with place satisfaction. Results suggest that it is necessary to consider pro-environmental behavioural intentions as a two-factor structure construct, comprising low and high effort pro-environmental behaviour. Place satisfaction is associated with low effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Place affect is significantly associated with both types of environmental behavioural intentions. Place identity is not associated with either type of environmental behavioural intentions. A significant association is also noted between low effort and high effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Practical applications of the study include marketing aimed at encouraging repeat visitation, with sophisticated message development and delivery building emotional attachment, a sense of belonging, and enhanced personal meaning. Heritage interpretation could use affect and emotion to enhance visitor satisfaction and experience, coupled with an outcomes-focused communication plan.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.