Abstract
Place attachment is a fundamental concept extensively utilized by environmental psychologists to investigate the intricate people-place relationship. This concept finds broad application in tourism studies examining visitors’ behaviors towards destinations, including sustainable actions and visit intentions. In particular, visitors exhibiting a higher level of attachment to a destination are highly predisposed to participating in pro-environmental behaviors, such as advocating for the environment, engaging in green consumption, and willingness to pay for environmental services. Likewise, tourists establishing a profound emotional bond with visited places are more inclined to revisit those destinations. Therefore, grasping and predicting visitors' attachment to a place emerges as pivotal in comprehending their pro-environmental behaviors and travel intentions. Existing literature reveals a notable focus among scholars on the attachment-behavior relationship, but more attention should be given to the intricate processes that underlie it. The doctoral dissertation addresses this gap by delving into the antecedent factors and their impact on shaping the attachment-behavior relationship. The primary objective is to examine the emotional bond between people and place, considering both direct and indirect experiences, and assess how this emotional connection influences promoting proenvironmental behaviors and travel intentions among visitors. The theoretical foundation is rooted in the notion that direct and indirect personal experiences are pivotal in attachment formation. Direct experiences involve physical visits to a destination, while indirect experiences include exposure through media, such as reading, movies, and social media. By studying these personal experiences, a deeper understanding of the attachment process can be achieved. The doctoral thesis comprises three distinct studies. The first study critically assesses the theory of place attachment. It develops an expanded theoretical framework that incorporates direct experiences (activity participation), mediating factors (attachment, meaning, and satisfaction), and outcomes (pro-environmental behavioral intention). It reviews the definition of place attachment and essential place-related concepts and outlines why the suggested framework is necessary to extend the current body of research in people-place relationships. Additionally, it broadly evaluates current scales and measurement models of constructs included and the structural model of this framework, thereby making recommendations relevant for subsequent empirical research. Building upon the first study's findings, the second study adapts and refines the proposed framework to examine the influence of activity participation and place value on place attachment and pro-environmental behavior among domestic visitors in two natural settings in Italy and Viet Nam. It employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to assess the measurement model and test eleven hypotheses across two datasets. On the other hand, the third study uses a focus group methodology to investigate how indirect experiences, specifically through movie-watching, can foster an emotional bond between audiences and unvisited destinations. The objective is to comprehend the triggers of emotions in audiences while watching movies, their influence on attachment to the destinations featured in the movies, and the subsequent impact on their future interest in visiting these destinations. The selected movies, set in Kenya, Africa, spanned different genres: a documentary, a travel vlog, and a commercial movie. Data for this study was collected through focus group discussions involving students who volunteered for one of three movie nights. Given the infrequent use of indirect experiences to elucidate place attachment, qualitative research in this context is suitable for an exploratory study. From a theoretical perspective, the PhD dissertation offers valuable insights into the influence of direct and indirect experiences on place attachment, presenting theoretical frameworks relevant to tourism management. The first study addresses literature gaps and extends existing frameworks by incorporating additional place-related factors. This framework was then refined and validated in the second study, an empirical cross-country research endeavor. Findings in the second study demonstrate the robust explanatory power of activity participation and place value in shaping place attachment and pro-environmental behavior. The partial success of model validation in a multi-country context supports its potential applicability in future studies. Furthermore, the second empirical study enriches the literature by exploring an extended sequence: behavior—attitude—behavior, departing from previous studies that often concentrate on singular aspects like attitude—behavior or behavior—attitude models. This extended framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between behavior and attitude in the context of pro-environmental behavior among tourists. In addition to focusing on direct experiences in the first two studies, the third study provides valuable insights into indirect experiences, investigating how individuals forge an emotional connection with unvisited destinations through movie-watching experiences. Specifically, it reveals that various movie attributes (i.e., scenery, narrative, and characters) can arouse positive emotions in audiences. These emotions, in turn, play a pivotal role in fostering an emotional bond between audiences and the destination portrayed in movies, influencing their intention to visit the destination in the future. The findings support a theoretical model developed to illustrate the impact of the movie-watching experience on pre-trip attachment and visit intention, underscoring the significance of the cultural landscape in shaping connections with destinations depicted in movies. Regarding managerial practice, prior research has consistently suggested to researchers, destination managers, and concerned authorities that strengthening attachment to a destination can promote sustainable tourism behavior. However, how to increase attachment remains ambiguous and challenging for them. This doctoral dissertation offers valuable insights to unlock this elusive area. Specifically, the dissertation identifies onsite participation and the perceived value of the destination as crucial factors determining attachment and sustainable behavior towards a destination. These findings help destination managers and authorities focus on enhancing existing tourism practices and incorporating destination values into promotional efforts. The dissertation also highlights the critical role of indirect experiences, such as movie-watching, in forming emotional connections with unvisited destinations. Cultural landscapes are just as crucial as natural scenery in this regard, or even more. The findings reinforce the continued importance of movies as a traditional and non-outdated marketing channel alongside online and social media platforms today. It further underscores the essential role of cultural values in promoting tourism destinations, signaling the urgent need to integrate these values into tourism promotion strategies.