The Influence Mechanism of Tourists’ Recreational Involvement on Pro-Environmental Behavior in National Parks: An Embodiment Perspective

National parks combine ecotourism value and ecological vulnerability, where tourist behavior is directly related to ecological protection and sustainable development. Individual physical and psychological states significantly influence tourists’ environmental behavior. Based on the embodied cognition theory, this study developed a framework that incorporates recreational involvement, place attachment, environmental attitudes, and pro-environmental behavior. A chain mediation model was created, with place attachment and environmental attitude as mediators, to examine the impact of recreational involvement on pro-environmental behavior. An empirical study of 432 tourists at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China, showed that recreational involvement positively affects tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors. Place attachment and environmental attitudes partially mediated this relationship, forming a multiple chain mediation effect. This study offers theoretical insights into the connection between tourists’ recreational involvement and pro-environmental behavior and provides practical guidance for national park management in addressing tourist behavior and emotional engagement.