Personal Motivations Influencing Green Purchase Intention and the Role of Environmental Concern as a Mediator in Gastronomic Tourism

Abstract

Sustainable tourism aims to ensure long-term development through economic balance, resource conservation and cultural heritage as global strategies underestimate psychological, social and cultural aspects, creating gaps between scientific debates and practical applications.  Gastronomic tourism is considered an integral part of sustainable tourism development, as it contributes to the differentiation of destinations, the preservation of cultural heritage, the reduction of negative impacts on the environment and growth of the local economy through the involvement of local producers and the promotion of short supply chains, influenced by the motivations that drive tourists' decision-making. Based on such evidences this study aims to test a conceptual model that integrates personal motivations and environmental concern as predictors of green purchase intention in the Albanian gastronomic tourism sector. The analysis uses the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling model. The main finding is that in the context of gastronomic tourism, social motivations (SSM) and sensory motivations (SAM) are the main factors that drive green purchasing (GPI), while environmental concern (EC) acts as a mediating mechanism only in the case of social sustainability motivation (SSM). From a theoretical perspective, study integrates different dimensions of personal motivations within a unified theoretical framework, combining TPB, VBN, NAM and SDT to explain the formation of GPI. It contributes to literature by positioning SSM and SAM as important elements in gastronomic tourism. Future studies could use longitudinal designs to test changes in GPI and EC over time, and apply experimental methods to assess the impact of specific marketing and communication variables.