ABSTRACT
Camiguin Province is the second smallest island province in the Philippines. Its environment is essential relative to other typical island destinations for its ecological diversity, numerous marine protected areas and wildlife endemicity and for harboring an ASEAN Heritage Park. The expansion of tourism on the island attracts a great number of tourists, thereby increasing the scope for potential forms of behavior as well as the range of potential environmental impact. This study focuses on understanding Camiguin tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB), particularly its determinants, namely, environmental attitude, knowledge and value, as well as the role of local stakeholders in influencing such behavior on an island tourism destination. Using a convergent mixed method approach, the study used survey samples comprising 303 tourists and 22 qualitative in-depth interviews of local stakeholders. Descriptive analysis showed that tourists have positive self-perceived environmental attitude, knowledge and value as well as ERB. Correlation analysis revealed that tourists’ environmental attitude, knowledge and value have significant effect on tourists’ ERB, with environmental attitude having the highest coefficient. Meanwhile, interviews with local stakeholders showed that tourists behave favorably toward the island’s environment and played a significant role in influencing tourists’ ERB. The study’s contribution to the existing literature provides a novel approach to examining ERB from the perspectives of the tourists and the different stakeholders on the island. Ultimately, the study’s findings have implications in developing strategies toward creating a favorable impact on the island’s environment.
