Strategies of promoting sustainable tourism destinations: a travelling behavior model (TBM) predicting tourist visiting behaviors towards ecotourism destinations

Abstract

Purpose The main purpose of this study is to develop a travelling behavior model (TBM) through exploring factors influencing travelers’ visiting behaviors towards ecotourism destinations, as an essence of developing sustainable tourism destinations in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach Through literature review, focus group discussions (FGDs), and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the several necessary measurement items are developed, and some of measurement items are also adopted from the existing validated studies. Subsequently, a convenience sampling technique is employed to collect 406 useable responses from the selected four tourist destinations in Bangladesh, and these valid responses are subjected to partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis through Smart PLS 3.3.3. Findings The study results have revealed that ethnoecological norms, ecocentrism norms, and anthropocentrism norms have significant direct influence on travelers’ ecotourism destinations visit intentions. Moreover, this study divulges that travelers’ intentions significantly affect their visiting behaviors towards ecotourism destinations in Bangladesh. Practical implications This study guides policymakers to taking initiatives of developing several norms building rules at ecotourism destinations for cultivating travelers’ positive intentions towards ecotourism destinations. Moreover, ecotourism destinations managers should generate enjoyable and unique experiences for tourists to enhancing positive intentions and behaviors towards destinations in Bangladesh through integrating ecological knowledge, eco-justice, and local community engagement. Originality/value This is the first attempt of conceptualizing and developing a travelling behavior model (TBM) to predicting travelers’ visiting behaviors towards ecotourism destinations through integrating ethnoecological norms, ecocentrism norms, anthropocentrism norms, and ecotourism destinations visit intentions to establish how the interactive relationships are formed among those variables in the context of ecotourism domain.