Using study abroad memories to foster sustainable tourists and global citizens
研究留学记忆的指导功能（指导旅行行为和生活轨迹）如何通过全球公民身份认同影响可持续旅游行为（环境、经济、社会、文化），对旅游教育和项目设计有参考价值。
There is increasing interest in exploring how education abroad can contribute to enhancing sustainable behaviors. We adopted a functional approach to autobiographical memory to investigate the relationship between the directive function of study abroad memories (directing travel behavior, and directing life trajectory) and sustainable tourist behaviors (environmental, economic, social, and cultural). Global citizenship identity was tested as a mediator between functions of study abroad memories and sustainable tourist behaviors. A total of n = 493 study abroad alumni (2012–2022) from two U.S. universities completed an online questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the model. The results show that (1) the directing travel behavior function of study abroad memories enhances culturally and economically sustainable tourist behaviors; (2) the directing life trajectory function of study abroad memories enhances socially and environmentally sustainable tourist behaviors; and (3) global citizenship identity mediated the relationship between the directive functions of study abroad memories and sustainable tourist behaviors. Accordingly, we discuss the differences in adopting culturally and economically sustainable tourist behaviors versus socially and environmentally sustainable tourist behaviors, the application of autobiographical memory for study abroad program evaluation, and recommendations for future studies.