Environmental Concerns and Water Conservation Behavior in Desert Tourism : Applying the Extended Norm Activation Theory for Gen Z Tourists
(2025) In Sustainability (Switzerland) 17(6).- Abstract
This study examines the influence of environmental concerns on water conservation behaviors among Gen Z tourists in Iranian desert regions by extending the Norm Activation Theory (NAT). Adopting a quantitative approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 330 Gen Z tourists (born between 1997 and 2012) who visited four Iranian desert villages (Qale Bala, Mesr, Abyaneh, and Rezaabad) between April and July 2023. Using systematic sampling, every fifth Gen Z tourist was selected. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that environmental concerns, situational responsibility, and personal norms positively impact water conservation behaviors, while denial of... (More)
This study examines the influence of environmental concerns on water conservation behaviors among Gen Z tourists in Iranian desert regions by extending the Norm Activation Theory (NAT). Adopting a quantitative approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 330 Gen Z tourists (born between 1997 and 2012) who visited four Iranian desert villages (Qale Bala, Mesr, Abyaneh, and Rezaabad) between April and July 2023. Using systematic sampling, every fifth Gen Z tourist was selected. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that environmental concerns, situational responsibility, and personal norms positively impact water conservation behaviors, while denial of responsibility negatively affects them. Personal norms positively influence pride and guilt emotions, which in turn promote water conservation behaviors. The extended model, incorporating environmental concerns, demonstrated improved explanatory power over the original NAT. This research contributes to sustainable tourism literature by integrating environmental concerns and moral emotions into the NAT framework, offering insights into psychological mechanisms driving pro-environmental behaviors among Gen Z tourists in desert environments.
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- author
- Torabi, Zabih Allah ; Hall, Colin Michael LU ; Azarniou, Nazanin and Borzu, Gholamreza
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- desert tourism, environmental concerns, Gen Z tourists, Iran, norm activation theory, water conservation
- in
- Sustainability (Switzerland)
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 6
- article number
- 2474
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105001116246
- ISSN
- 2071-1050
- DOI
- 10.3390/su17062474
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 1de9bcc6-5926-4709-8ea8-8e1719d42b51
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-27 09:39:51
- date last changed
- 2025-10-14 12:12:12
@article{1de9bcc6-5926-4709-8ea8-8e1719d42b51,
abstract = {{<p>This study examines the influence of environmental concerns on water conservation behaviors among Gen Z tourists in Iranian desert regions by extending the Norm Activation Theory (NAT). Adopting a quantitative approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 330 Gen Z tourists (born between 1997 and 2012) who visited four Iranian desert villages (Qale Bala, Mesr, Abyaneh, and Rezaabad) between April and July 2023. Using systematic sampling, every fifth Gen Z tourist was selected. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that environmental concerns, situational responsibility, and personal norms positively impact water conservation behaviors, while denial of responsibility negatively affects them. Personal norms positively influence pride and guilt emotions, which in turn promote water conservation behaviors. The extended model, incorporating environmental concerns, demonstrated improved explanatory power over the original NAT. This research contributes to sustainable tourism literature by integrating environmental concerns and moral emotions into the NAT framework, offering insights into psychological mechanisms driving pro-environmental behaviors among Gen Z tourists in desert environments.</p>}},
author = {{Torabi, Zabih Allah and Hall, Colin Michael and Azarniou, Nazanin and Borzu, Gholamreza}},
issn = {{2071-1050}},
keywords = {{desert tourism; environmental concerns; Gen Z tourists; Iran; norm activation theory; water conservation}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Sustainability (Switzerland)}},
title = {{Environmental Concerns and Water Conservation Behavior in Desert Tourism : Applying the Extended Norm Activation Theory for Gen Z Tourists}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su17062474}},
doi = {{10.3390/su17062474}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2025}},
}