In cultural heritage tourism destinations, the tension between “protection” and “utilization” is becoming increasingly prominent, making the effective stimulation of tourists’ Environmentally Friendly Behavior (EFB) a key issue.
Based on Embodied Cognition Theory (ECT), this study develops an “ECT—Natural Connection (NC) and Tourism Satisfaction (TS)—EFB” theoretical model from three dimensions: Subjective Participation in Cognition (SPC), Emotional Cognition (EC), and Environmental Awareness (EA).
An empirical study was conducted in Chengkan Village, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, and questionnaire data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
The results show that: (1) the Richness of Folk Activities (RI) and Participation in Folk Activities (PA) both have significant positive effects on NC and TS, confirming the fundamental role of SPC in activating tourists’ environmentally friendly tendencies; (2) Ecological Reverence (ER), Cultural Resonance (CR), and Human-Earth Symbiosis Awareness (HES) all significantly promote the formation of NC, whereas the direct effect of HES on TS is not significant; (3) Natural Affinity (NA) and Environmental Risk Perception (ERP) both exert significant positive effects on NC and TS; and (4) NC and TS both significantly and positively influence EFB, while the direct effect of NC on TS is not significant.
From the perspective of embodied cognition, this study systematically reveals the driving mechanisms of tourists’ EFB in cultural heritage tourism destinations, enriches theoretical research at the intersection of cultural heritage tourism behavior and environmental psychology, and provides practical implications for heritage site managers to stimulate tourists’ EFB and promote the coordinated development of heritage conservation and tourism development.
In cultural heritage tourism destinations, the tension between “protection” and “utilization” is becoming increasingly prominent, making the effective stimulation of tourists’ Environmentally Friendly Behavior (EFB) a key issue. Based on Embodied Cognition Theory (ECT), this study develops an “ECT—Natural Connection (NC) and Tourism Satisfaction (TS)—EFB” theoretical model from three dimensions: Subjective Participation in Cognition (SPC), Emotional Cognition (EC), and Environmental Awareness (EA). An empirical study was conducted in Chengkan Village, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, and questionnaire data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that: (1) the Richness of Folk Activities (RI) and Participation in Folk Activities (PA) both have significant positive effects on NC and TS, confirming the fundamental role of SPC in activating tourists’ environmentally friendly tendencies; (2) Ecological Reverence (ER), Cultural Resonance (CR), and Human-Earth Symbiosis Awareness (HES) all significantly promote the formation of NC, whereas the direct effect of HES on TS is not significant; (3) Natural Affinity (NA) and Environmental Risk Perception (ERP) both exert significant positive effects on NC and TS; and (4) NC and TS both significantly and positively influence EFB, while the direct effect of NC on TS is not significant. From the perspective of embodied cognition, this study systematically reveals the driving mechanisms of tourists’ EFB in cultural heritage tourism destinations, enriches theoretical research at the intersection of cultural heritage tourism behavior and environmental psychology, and provides practical implications for heritage site managers to stimulate tourists’ EFB and promote the coordinated development of heritage conservation and tourism development.
