Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites | 2026
Authors: Vu Y.T.; Nguyen N.T.T.; Dinh H.T.
DOI: 10.30892/gtg.65246-1751
Journal: Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites
Year: 2026
Publisher: Editura Universitatii din Oradea
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
This study explores the factors driving world heritage conservation behavior among young tourists in the context of developing countries. Through foundational theories such as the Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Stimulus Organism Response, the research model is defined, aiming to examine the influence of reference groups and travel experiences shaping conservation outcomes through cognitive and attitudinal pathways in heritage tourism. The study utilizes a partial least squares structural equation model with cross-sectional data collected. The sample consists of 318 young tourists surveyed directly at three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Northern Vietnam: the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Ha Long Bay, and the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, to ensure representativeness and completeness. The results show that the reference group significantly influences the attitudes, perceptions, and conservation behaviors of young tourists regarding World Heritage sites, while the travel experience influences attitudes and behaviors but not their conservation perceptions. Particularly important is the finding that perceptions predict conservation behavior, while attitudes do not, challenging the conventional notion that emphasizes the emotional attachment of tourists. Mediating analysis demonstrates that perceptions, not attitudes, mediate the effects of the reference group on conservation behavior. These findings advance theoretical understanding by demonstrating the preeminence of perceptions over the formation of supportive attitudes in the context of heritage conservation. This research provides useful scientific documentation for heritage managers, policymakers, and the tourism industry when developing measures and strategies to promote heritage conservation behavior among tourists in the context of sustainable heritage tourism development. © 2026 by the authors.
attitude-behavior gap; PLS-SEM; sustainable heritage tourism; Vietnam; world heritage conservation; young tourists