Environmental Literacy and Social-Emotional Learning Skills Influencing Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism Behavior
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This study investigates the factors influencing sustainable gastronomy tourism behavior among Thai Generation Z tourists by examining both direct and indirect roles of Environmental Literacy and Social and Emotional Learning Skills (SEL Skills) within an integrated behavioral framework. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) Theory, and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this research adopts a quantitative approach using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data collected from 431 Generation Z tourists with gastronomy tourism experience in Thailand. The findings reveal that Environmental Literacy serves as the strongest predictor of sustainable gastronomy tourism behavior, while SEL Skills also exert a significant positive effect, partially mediating the relationship between Environmental Literacy and sustainable behavior. These results highlight the interconnected mechanisms of environmental knowledge, value-based judgment, and socio-emotional competencies that shape responsible gastronomy-related tourism practices. The novelty of this study lies in its empirical integration of Environmental Literacy and SEL Skills within a single explanatory model of sustainable gastronomy tourism behavior, an area that remains underexplored in existing tourism literature. By extending TPB, VBN, and SCT into the gastronomy tourism context, this study offers both theoretical advancement and implications, providing practical insights for policymakers, tourism planners, and food-related businesses in designing educational interventions and experience-based strategies to foster more sustainable tourist behavior.
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