Tourists' environmental vandalism and cognitive dissonance in a National Forest Park

This study takes the littering of tourists in Xitou Nature Education Area in Taiwan as an example to analyze the relationships among tourists' environmental attitude, vandalism and cognitive dissonance. In this study, 500 questionnaires are distributed, and 499 questionnaires are returned. The subjects are the tourists of over 18 years of age in the Xitou Nature Education Area by convenience sampling between November 2015 and March 2016. The results of this study show that the older tourists have higher pro-environmental attitudes. The tourists who are older and more engaging in outdoor activities are less likely to litter. In contrast, the younger tourists intend to litter and their reactions of cognitive dissonance are stronger. This study suggests that the authorities shall strengthen environmental protection campaign and environmental education for younger tourists with a higher possibility of vandalism behavior. The probability of tourists' vandalism can be reduced by improving the quality of outdoor facilities and promoting benefits of the natural environment experiencing