Mindsets matter: Reimagining the destination brand experience-environmental behaviour link through a cognitive lens

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mindsets matter

T2 - Reimagining the destination brand experience-environmental behaviour link through a cognitive lens

AU - Hossain, Muhammad I.

AU - Japutra, Arnold

AU - Islam, Nurnobi

AU - Javed, Ammar

N1 - Copyright: © 2025 The Authors.

PY - 2025/11

Y1 - 2025/11

N2 - Tourism destinations face increasing pressure to encourage environmentally responsible behaviours (ERBs) among visitors as a means of protecting ecological integrity and long-term sustainability. Drawing on the value–belief–norm (VBN) model and implicit beliefs theory, this study develops and tests a model linking sensory, affective, intellectual, and behavioural destination brand experience (DBE) to three forms of ERB: sustainable, pro-environmental, and environmentally friendly behaviour. Data from 395 tourists in Bangladesh were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Results show that sensory, intellectual, and behavioural experiences significantly influence ERB, while affective experiences have no significant direct effect. Importantly, tourists’ mindsets moderate these relationships: individuals with a fixed mindset rely more on sensory and intellectual cues, whereas those with a growth mindset respond more to affective and behavioural engagement. These findings highlight mindsets as a boundary condition in the DBE–ERB relationship. The study advances sustainable tourism literature by (1) positioning DBE as a precursor to the VBN model, (2) introducing mindsets as new moderating factors, and (3) extending sustainability research into a collectivist, developing-country context. The results offer important implications for destination managers, suggesting that tailoring experiential design to differing tourist mindsets can enhance sustainability outcomes.

AB - Tourism destinations face increasing pressure to encourage environmentally responsible behaviours (ERBs) among visitors as a means of protecting ecological integrity and long-term sustainability. Drawing on the value–belief–norm (VBN) model and implicit beliefs theory, this study develops and tests a model linking sensory, affective, intellectual, and behavioural destination brand experience (DBE) to three forms of ERB: sustainable, pro-environmental, and environmentally friendly behaviour. Data from 395 tourists in Bangladesh were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Results show that sensory, intellectual, and behavioural experiences significantly influence ERB, while affective experiences have no significant direct effect. Importantly, tourists’ mindsets moderate these relationships: individuals with a fixed mindset rely more on sensory and intellectual cues, whereas those with a growth mindset respond more to affective and behavioural engagement. These findings highlight mindsets as a boundary condition in the DBE–ERB relationship. The study advances sustainable tourism literature by (1) positioning DBE as a precursor to the VBN model, (2) introducing mindsets as new moderating factors, and (3) extending sustainability research into a collectivist, developing-country context. The results offer important implications for destination managers, suggesting that tailoring experiential design to differing tourist mindsets can enhance sustainability outcomes.

KW - Destination brand experience

KW - Environmentally responsible behaviour

KW - Pro-environmental behaviour

KW - Growth mindset

KW - Fixed mindset

KW - Destination management

U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127648

DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127648

M3 - Article

C2 - 41092877

SN - 0301-4797

VL - 394

JO - Journal of Environmental Management

JF - Journal of Environmental Management

M1 - 127648

ER -