Do You Need a Break from Environmental Duties? Apply the Norm Activation Theory to Examine Pro Environmental Behaviors

This study aimed at examining how social environmental norms affect tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in the destination and home contexts by employing the focus theory of normative conduct and norm activation theory. It also tested the moderating effects of the belief of a vacation break from environmental duties and the mediating effect of personal norms in the relationships between social-environmental norms and PEBs. A total of 400 usable surveys was collected through an online survey. Both t-test and regression analysis techniques were employed to analyze the data. There were two major findings from this study. First, PEBs became weaker when people were on holiday than at home. However, PEBs increased when tourists arrived at a destination where there were higher social norms than their homes. Second, the vacation break from environmental duties negatively moderated the relationships between social norms and PEBs. Moreover, the degree of behavioral discrepancy is larger among the tourists holding a stronger belief in vacation break from environmental duties on vacation than those who do not