Bridging marine ESG practices and smart technologies: toward sustainable and accessible travel experiences

Purpose This study investigates how marine environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices and smart tourism technologies (STTs) jointly shape tourists’ perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions in accessible tourism. Design/methodology/approach A two-study structural equation modeling approach was adopted. Study 1 analyzed 689 valid responses from an ocean leisure sample to examine the effects of ESG practices on travel attitudes through perceptions of a friendly environment and destination image. Study 2 analyzed 690 valid responses from a tourism sample to investigate the mediating role of STTs in the relationship between travel attitudes and travel intentions, as well as the moderating role of perceived risk. Findings ESG practices positively influence travel attitudes through perceptions of a friendly environment and destination image. Travel intention strengthens the relationships between ESG practices and perceptions of a friendly environment and between perceptions of a friendly environment and travel attitudes. STTs positively mediate the relationship between travel attitudes and travel intentions. Furthermore, perceived risk strengthens the positive relationship between travel attitudes and STTs but weakens the relationship between STTs and travel intentions. Originality/value By integrating the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework with the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study provides an integrated explanation of how sustainability-oriented governance and digital technologies jointly contribute to sustainable, inclusive, and accessible tourism. The findings further highlight the complementary roles of ESG practices and STTs in shaping tourists’ cognitive evaluations, attitudes, and behavioral intentions.