Climate anxiety and responsible tourist behavior: an environmental psychology perspective

Climate anxiety (eco-anxiety) has gained increasing attention within environmental psychology as both a potential psychological stressor and a possible driver of pro-environmental action. This study examines the relationship between environmental psychological factors and responsible tourist behavior in a combined Portuguese-speaking sample ( N = 465) from Portugal and Brazil. Data were collected through an online survey using validated instruments, including the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS), the GAD-7 (generalized anxiety), the Nature Relatedness Scale (NR-6), the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), a mindfulness scale, and measures of climate information exposure and pro-environmental behaviors. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of both climate anxiety and responsible tourist behavior. Results indicate that climate anxiety is positively associated with generalized anxiety, climate concern, and the perceived interference of anxiety in daily life, while higher levels of mental self-control act as a protective factor. Exposure to climate-related information is associated with higher levels of climate anxiety. Regarding responsible tourist behavior, the strongest predictors include greater exposure to climate information, stronger everyday pro-environmental behavior, higher environmental values, and lower red meat consumption. These findings suggest the presence of behavioral consistency across contexts, with everyday sustainable practices extending into tourism behavior. Climate anxiety shows a positive but non-significant tendency, indicating a potential motivational role when combined with other cognitive and behavioral factors. These findings contribute to sustainable tourism research by highlighting the complex role of eco-anxiety and the importance of psychological, behavioral, and informational factors in shaping responsible travel behavior.