Purpose Coastal destinations increasingly implement green attributes, yet evidence remains limited on which attributes activate tourists' cognitive, emotional, and moral mechanisms that lead to eco-friendly participation, and whether any of these mechanisms are indispensable for high participation levels. This study tests a cognitive–affective–normative model linking green coastal destination attributes to tourists' participation in eco-friendly coastal activities. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 600 tourists visiting coastal destinations in Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor. The proposed model was assessed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test sufficiency-based relationships, complemented by necessary condition analysis to identify non-substitutable prerequisites for high levels of eco-friendly participation. Findings Green attributes showed heterogeneous effects. Awareness of consequences was mainly driven by energy-efficient facilities, eco-friendly accommodation, sustainable sourcing, and heritage preservation, while conservation efforts and green labeling had a limited impact. Environmental empathy was primarily influenced by eco-friendly accommodation, followed by conservation efforts, energy-efficient facilities, and green labeling, with other attributes showing no significant effects. Awareness of consequences strongly increased ascribed responsibility, which in turn was the key driver of personal norms; environmental empathy contributed only marginally. Personal norms were the strongest predictor of eco-friendly participation. Necessary condition analysis further revealed that ascribed responsibility and personal norms are indispensable for high participation, whereas green attributes and empathy are not. Originality/value This study extends coastal sustainability research by combining partial least squares structural equation modeling and a necessary condition analysis to distinguish between factors that enhance eco-friendly participation and those that are indispensable for achieving high participation levels.
Chitlada Pinthong (Thu,) studied this question.