When social media backfires: the role of perceived authenticity of destination in predicting emotional satisfaction and young tourists’ pro-environmental behavior

Purpose This study aims to examine how perceived authenticity formed through social media induces emotional satisfaction and promotes tourists’ pro-environmental behavior through environmental self-efficacy. The study also assesses the moderating role of destination environmental facilities. It addresses theoretical gaps by positioning emotional satisfaction as a key affective mechanism linking authenticity, self-efficacy and young tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. Design/methodology/approach Online survey data from 261 young tourists in Indonesia were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed model, and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis was employed to uncover configurational pathways leading to pro-environmental behavior. Findings Authenticity enhances satisfaction, which builds self-efficacy and increases young tourists’ pro-environmental behavior through a supported serial mediation. The moderated mediation effect of destination environmental facilities is not significant. High pro-environmental behavior emerges from multiple sufficient configurations, particularly when satisfaction and self-efficacy are present. Low pro-environmental behavior arises when the absence of satisfaction is combined with either low self-efficacy or inadequate environmental facilities. Practical implications The findings suggest that destination marketers should prioritize authentic social media content to foster emotionally satisfying experiences that build young tourists’ environmental self-efficacy, especially in destinations with limited environmental infrastructure. Originality/value This study extends the broaden-and-build theory by explaining how authenticity in social media content elicits emotional satisfaction, which in turn builds environmental self-efficacy and drives young tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. Methodologically, it contributes by combining symmetric and asymmetric analytical approaches to uncover complex pathways that shape young tourists’ pro-environmental behavior.