Does reposting equate to commitment? A study on the influence of reposting destination environmental initiatives on tourists’ pro-environmental behavioral intention
通过三个实验发现，游客在社交媒体上转发目的地环保倡议能显著增强其环保行为意愿，其中环保承诺起中介作用，且对称社交平台效果更强。
Tourism destinations have increasingly turned to social media to promote environmental initiatives and encourage tourists to repost related content in recent years. This strategy not only enhances destination awareness but also has the potential to influence tourist behavior. Drawing on commitment theory and behavioral consistency theory, this study conducted three between-subjects experiments (a two-stage field experiment, a narrative-driven game experiment, and a scenario based online experiment) to explore how reposting destination-published environmental initiatives influences tourists’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions. The results indicate that reposting significantly increases tourists’ willingness to engage in pro-environmental actions, with environmental commitment serving as a key mediator. Moreover, this effect is more pronounced on symmetrical social media platforms. By linking tourists’ pre-trip online reposting behavior to their offline pro-environmental actions, this study identifies reposting environmental initiatives as a novel driver of behavioral spillover. These insights offer practical implications for destinations seeking to leverage digital engagement to promote environmental conservation.