The Impact of Personal Norms, Environmental Awareness & Ascribed Responsibility on Pro Environmental Intentions of Young Travelers in Sweden

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between personal norms and pro environmental intentions of youth travelers in Sweden including the intention to involve in sustainable purchasing behaviors while travelling (IISPB), intention to involve in recycling activities while travelling (IIRA) and intention to preserve natural and local resources while travelling (IPNLR). Also the study aims to test the moderating impact that the environmental awareness and ascribed responsibility have on the relationship between personal norms and pro environmental intentions considered. Design/Methodology/Approach- The study distributed an online questionnaire among university students in Sweden employing non probability sampling methods of volunteering sampling and snowball sampling methods. Answers of 293 completed questionnaires were subjected to the analysis, employing structural equation modelling, muli group structural equation modelling. Findings – The results indicated positive and substantial relationships between personal norms and each pro environmental intention considered in the study (IISPB, IIRA & IPNLR). Both environmental awareness and ascribed responsibility could not be tested for its moderating influence on the relationship between personal norms and each pro environmental intention due to the existence of metric variance in the measurements. Practical Contribution –Considering the highly influential impact of personal norms on pro environmental intentions, the study proposes the destination marketing organizations across Sweden to address the moral obligations of young travellers to ensure environmentally friendly behaviors within their destinations. The study proposes to do this via implementing advertising and awareness campaigns, devised to activate the personal norms of young tourists. Value/Originality- This study contributes to the existing gap in tourism literature regarding the application of Norm Activation Model as a moderator model in pro environmental intentions of young travellers in Sweden.