Tourism and environmental sustainability at sea and coastal areas: uncovering the determinants of tourist water saving and recycling activities

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The determinants of tourists’ engagement in water-saving practices (WA) and recycling activities (RE) in sea and coastal destinations remain underexplored, despite their critical role in promoting sustainable tourism. This study utilises norm activation theory, global motives, and perceived benefit components to examine these determinants through rigorous methodologies, including sufficient/necessary condition analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). By employing an evaluative framework, the study systematically investigates the conditions under which these determinants drive WA and RE behaviours. Findings highlight the significance of individual and combined factors, validating the proposed model. The formal set-theoretic approach via fsQCA further explicates the intricate dynamics influencing sustainable actions among tourists. In general, the results align with our expectations and confirm the relationship between the determinants and outcomes when we compared our proposed model with the established theory (Model*Theory). This research contributes to theoretical expansion by integrating diverse motivational and benefit-related variables, offering a comprehensive framework for understanding tourists’ conservation behaviours. The study’s practical implications are also substantial, providing actionable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to enhance environmental sustainability in coastal tourism. These insights guide the development of targeted initiatives to promote sustainable marine environments, ensuring long-term benefits for both current and future stakeholders.