The Effects of Recreational Involvement in Urban Wetland Parks on Tourists' Environmentally Responsible Behavior: The Chain-Mediated Effects of Well-Being and Loyalty

Abstract

Tourists' environmental responsibility behavior plays a crucial role in promoting the sustainable development of urban wetland parks. Focusing on the emotional management of tourists can enhance their proactive environmental actions. This study targets Yanghu National Wetland Park eco-tourists in Changsha, Hunan Province. Based on the theoretical framework of the Self-Regulation of Attitude Theory, this research introduces variables such as leisure involvement, well-being, and loyalty to construct a structural equation model that examines the influencing mechanisms of wetland tourists' environmental responsibility behavior. Utilizing statistical software SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0, data from 532 questionnaires were analyzed, yielding the following conclusions: (1) In the context of wetland parks, tourists' leisure involvement has a significant direct impact on environmental responsibility behavior; (2) Well-being and loyalty both exert a direct positive influence on environmental responsibility behavior and serve as significant emotional mediators between leisure involvement and environmental responsibility behavior; (3) Leisure involvement exerts a chain-mediated positive influence on environmental responsibility behavior through both well-being and loyalty. The conclusions of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between individual emotions and behaviors in tourism contexts. They provide theoretical insights for national wetland parks to inspire tourists to actively engage in responsible environmental behavior and achieve sustainable wetland ecosystem development.