The Nexus between Sustainable Behaviour of Tourists from Generation Z and the Factors That Influence the Protection of Environmental Quality

Abstract

In a context in which tourism is considered to favour the degradation of the environment, it is important to promote forms of travel with low environmental impact. Globally, studies have shown a good understanding and increased receptivity to the practice of sustainable forms of travel among tourists. Therefore, this study proposes an analysis of the nexus between sustainable behaviour of tourists from Generation Z and the factors that influence the protection of environmental quality. The research methodology included the development and application of a questionnaire on a sample of 492 tourists belonging to Generation Z, with travel experience. The results showed nexus among the analysed factors and the Cronbach Alpha score for the latent variables: cultural factors (α = 0.769), personal factors (α = 0.829), psychological factors (α = 0.809), technological factors (α = 0.800), sustainable behaviour of young tourists (α = 0.910), social factors (α = 0.857) and conservation of the environmental quality (α = 0.906). The hypothesis regarding the testing of tourists’ sustainable behaviour in nexus with the protection of the environment quality was confirmed, even if the results of testing the nexus between the social factors and sustainable behaviour of Generation Z Romanian tourists could not be considered statistically significant. However, the study represents a contribution to the literature in a field concerned with this aspect of sustainability and interest, which is constantly growing, and for which, at least until now, there have been no studies in the literature pertaining to Romanian space.

1. Introduction

Tourism and sustainability play an important role in travel in the world economy. Research in tourism is aimed at analysing tourists’ behaviour their attitude towards the environment and ecological behaviour [1]. The last decades have brought preferences of tourists to the sector for whom important changes have been recorded, due to the fact that they have become more and more interested in culture, art and architecture [2]. In particular, Veiga [3] showed that, simultaneously with the change in the generation of tourists, the tourists’ profile also changed significantly. Thus, consumers have different perspectives on tourism demand and ecological awareness, aspects which can influence the tourism market, and their interpenetration can lead to the development of appropriate marketing strategies in tourism in order to raise awareness of pro-environmental behaviour [4]. In this regard, Lee [5], studied the concerns about sustainability and showed that they contributed to improving the behaviour of the tourists visiting the region if they have interests in conserving the local natural environment. A tourist with sustainability concerns is a tourist who contributes to the preservation of environmental quality by reducing interference in the local environment. Walker and Moscardo [6] showed that there was growing concern regarding the identification of sustainability issues by segments of the demand for tourism products. These conclusions are also confirmed by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), who found that awareness of sustainability was constantly growing and that tourists’ environmental and sustainability concerns led to their characterisation in various ways [7]. Sustainable behaviour is a prerequisite for achieving sustainability, which aims to improve the quality of the environment by protecting the natural resources used [8]. Moreover, sustainable behaviour is an experience for every tourist in which he can invest energy and/or emotions. Experience shows that emotional change is related to the actor’s behaviour in a very short time [9].

Werhrli [10] studied tourists’ behaviour and identified the increase of the awareness regarding the environmental impact of tourism. Tourists’ behavioural intentions are one of the important factors influencing the selection of tourist destinations [11]. Therefore, changing tourists’ behaviour and attitudes could lead to the change of tourism into a sustainable sector [12], the attitude thus being a major factor in identifying sustainable behaviour [13], and the assessments integrate and summarise cognitive/affective reactions [14]. Cottrell [15] takes into account responsible environmental behaviour (REB), attitude being the determining factor which influences individuals to act in a more environmentally responsible way, as a predictor of tourist behaviour, thus being considered a precursor to behaviour [16].

The generation that is currently growing up and is important for tourism actors is Generation Z. Even if they are young and lack financial means, the new targets of the tourism industry are the people of Generation Z [17]. Tourism companies do not expect this generation to enter the labor market, but are studying it and planning to attract it already. Before they become consumers, Generation Z influence those around them. Most of these young people still live with their parents, and when it comes to planning a vacation, they have some importance in decision making [18].

Considering that the sustainable behaviour of tourists should have a positive impact on the environment, we will further analyse the factors that can influence the behaviour of tourists at the tourist destination, an aspect that has an important contribution to protecting the environment. Therefore, analysing the concept of sustainability through the definition provided by UNTWO [19] we understand that tourism responds to the needs of tourists, the environment, industry and host communities, being directly concerned with the economic, social and environmental impact both now and in the future. For this reason, we consider it appropriate to conduct a study aimed at analysing the nexus between factors determining tourists’ sustainable behaviour, specific to Romanian individuals from Generation Z who are concerned with contributing to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The purpose of this study derives from the desire to deepen aspects related to tourism, the environment, respectively sustainable behaviour in accordance with the factors that affect the behaviour of tourists. Likewise, the analysis of the sustainable behaviour of young people who are part of Generation Z and who have travel experiences in nexus to the determining factors was not subject to the attention of the research carried out for Romania. For this study group, it was analysed the extent to which there is a nexus between the factors influencing consumer behaviour, identified from the specialized literature, which could determine the sustainable behaviour of tourists, and which have a direct impact on the protection of environmental quality.

Taking into account the previous research works, the purpose of this study is given by the novelty of conducting an analysis of the nexus between sustainable behaviour and the factors which determine pro-environmental behaviour among young Romanians belonging to Generation Z. The Generation Z youth involved in this research are between the ages of 19 and 25. It was chosen to study Generation Z because the tourists of this generation are the tourists of tomorrow who will have financial resources and will be able to make decisions regarding sustainable behaviour related to tourism. Such a study has not yet been conducted, and it could be an important contribution to the literature. The content of this paper includes three parts, as follows. In the first part we performed an analysis on the relevant conceptual aspects in identifying sustainable behaviour by identifying the factors which influence the tourism service consumer’s attitudes; in the second part, we present and discuss the results of the study; and in the third part of the paper we presented conclusions on the analysis of the nexus between sustainable behaviour and the factors which determine this behaviour among young Romanians belonging to Generation Z. Thus, it is necessary for tourist destinations to prepare and adapt to young tourists’ new demands, regarding their sustainable behaviour with the aim of protecting environmental quality.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Parzonko [20] define the concept of pro-environmental behaviour as a behaviour through which individuals consciously seek to minimise the negative impact of their actions on the environment by considering both positive environmentally friendly actions (e.g., recycling, minimising consumption of resources and energy, the use of toxic substances, reducing waste production), and avoiding actions which are harmful to the environment (for example, using disposable bags in supermarkets).

In this regard, Wheale and Hinton [21] focused on describing tourists’ attitudes and intentions by conducting an analysis of their sustainable behaviour. Thus, tourists’ behaviour refers to customers’ behaviours in terms of the selection, purchase and consumption of tourist goods and services to meet their needs and desires for vacation [22]. Tourists’ behaviour can be influenced by the policies developed by the decision makers responsible for identifying both the problems and the benefits generated by residents’ behaviour. Moreover, the ability of the inhabitants of tourist areas to understand behaviours regarding sustainable tourism is important, since this aspect can lead to their economic development [23].

To identify human behaviour toward nature, Hawcroft [24] studied people’s attitudes in relation to the environment, showing that attitudes towards the environment include a psychological tendency expressed by the assessment of the natural environment to a certain favourable or unfavourable degree. The behaviour–environment construct was debated in the field of environmental psychology and discussed in many of the publications on these topics. Thus, attitudes are personal evaluation reactions to relevant social issues, related to people, behaviours, contexts, events and specific objects [25].

Sustainable behaviour in tourism has increased in recent years. The crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has created more sustainable travel trends by choosing trips with greener options which involve increased attention to the impact of tourism on the community and on the environment [26]. In the research conducted by Vermeir and Verbeke [27] and also by Wheale and Hinton [21], consumers’ sustainable behaviour was analysed based on the study of attitudes and intentions regarding organic products, although for Ajzen [16] and Hofstede [28], the behaviour of all actors involved in tourism activities is strongly influenced by cultural and moral values, as well as by their attitudes. Ajzen [16] concludes that the individual attitude of the person derives from the assessment of a phenomenon. In the model developed by the author, attitudes develop from people’s beliefs and values about the object of attitude. Consequently, attitude is considered a predetermined tendency to respond in a positive or negative way to the object of attitude. To prepare for the future, it is necessary to evaluate patterns of behaviour in the tourism sector and analyse the experiences of young people currently travelling in order to develop new products and/or services [29].

Attitudes are complex constructs at their origin, and there are limitations due to this complexity. For these reasons, the results show the components which generated the attitude construction, which are used to guide this literature review in order to identify the role of attitudes in estimating tourist behaviour for individuals in Generation Z [13].

The main issues regarding the study of tourist behaviour follow the determinants of tourists’ pro-environmental attitudes and behaviour, but most studies focused on the types of tourism and socio-economic characteristics of the individual [13,30].

Therefore, tourists’ sustainable behaviour is defined as “tourist behaviour which does not have a negative impact on the natural environment both globally and at the destination level” [12] and on the wellbeing of the community [26]. Sustainability is seen as a desirable goal in development and environmental management. The meaning of sustainability is dependent on the contexts in which it is applied and the economic, social or ecological perspective from which it is approached, as well as aspects related to space and time [31]. Sustainability analysed from the perspective of the environment aims to satisfy the needs of resources, services for current and future generations avoiding compromising ecosystems.

In conclusion, sustainability is supported by the resistance, balance and interconnection between human needs and the capacity of the ecosystem to fulfill these needs without diminishing biological diversity [32].

2.2. Factors Determining Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Tourists are a very diverse group of people; therefore, they cannot be treated the same. This grouping is based on several variables (subfactors), such as: age, gender, nationality, occupation, education, purpose, length of stay, options for spending time at the tourist destination, economic situation, beliefs, traditions, reference groups, motivations, habits, etc. [33]. All these variables are grouped into factor categories. According to Ajzen [16], Kotler et al. [34] and Dorcic et al. [35], consumer behavioural factors are classified into the following categories: cultural factors; social factors; personal factors; psychological factors, and technological factors.

2.2.1. The Nexus between Cultural Factors and Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Culture is a factor which can influence consumers’ behaviour, attitudes and decisions [25]. Human behaviour is built on three components: genetic predisposition, cultural modelling, and situational corrections [36], determining tourist behaviour to be strongly influenced by cultural factors. People from different parts of the world are distinguished by different types of clothing, culinary preferences, types of architecture, valuables, ethical behaviour, etc. [37]. In the current economic context, the success of tourist destinations depends on tourists’ loyalty, the study of demand, and sustainable tourist behaviour as a priority [38]. Loyal tourists are extremely important, they are those who recommend a destination to family and friends or those who plan to repeat visits without asking for advertising campaigns, they resonate with local values and are interested in the specifics of the area, being open to donations or expenses for site conservation [39].

Culture is an important factor in tourism and hospitality, influencing consumer choices [40] and determining people’s attitudes towards choosing tourist destinations, including accommodation preferences and eating habits [37]. Keegan and Green [41] studied behaviours based on the influence of values and attitudes determined by culture. Thus, the analysis of culture has the role of determining consumer preferences.

Culture includes a set of concepts and beliefs that influence tourist behaviour [42]. The behaviour of a tourist is influenced by beliefs, traditions, norms and rules acquired [43]. Therefore, culture represents the elementary and integrative social parameter related to any tourist destination, encompassing human thinking, lifestyle, products, customs, symbols, meanings and representations. For tourism, the periods of crisis and transition pertain to the idea of sustainability, which determines the increase in environmental awareness, with cultural sustainability focused on the precious resources of the area. Demand changes are pressing, strong, but essential for tourism, because they shape tourism trends, needs, attitudes, challenges, and prospects [44].

In conclusion, the perspective of tourism development encapsulates the cultural sustainability which follows local lifestyles, interaction, customs, traditions and practices and the integration of other customs, styles and means of communication of tourists to their destinations [45].

2.2.2. The Nexus between Social Factors and Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Consumption is considered the drive of the global economy, it favours a certain lifestyle, and it can generate severe social imbalances and a lack of resources, such as water and energy. Globally, strategies have been developed to monitor the impact of consumption on the environment and the economic impact in conjunction with innovation, encouraging social and environmental sustainability [46].

Social factors in cooperation with sustainable tourist behaviour are based on studies conducted on reference groups, members, family, roles, status and social networks which allow online communication. Over time, these elements have changed tourists’ behaviour from many perspectives, including tourist experience [47]. The reference groups are made up of representative individuals who transmit information of mutual interest as opinion formers, and which other people use as a reference, forming a response to purchasing stimuli [48]. Primary groups include people with whom the consumer interacts, for example family, friends, neighbours or colleagues. The importance of groups derives from regular interaction with them. Secondary groups include professional, religious and union cultures, these types of groups interact less with the individual [49]. The family is an important and relevant factor which influences consumer behaviour in tourism, the individuals being objectively informed about tourist goods and services by relatives and friends, i.e., the reference group [50].

Tourists’ sustainable behaviour involves ecological and social components. Ecological sustainability assesses the tolerance of natural conditions and the ecological environment specific to a tourist area, and social sustainability presents tourism impact on society, and seeks to identify optimal methods to neutralise the negative impact on society [45].

2.2.3. The Nexus between Personal Factors and Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Age, life cycle stages, occupation, personality, knowledge, lifestyle and economic situation are specific components of personal factors. The behaviour of consumers of tourist services is influenced by age, and preferences and attitudes are correlated with it. For example, preferences for travel destinations, entertainment, cooking and specific activities change over time and with age, the choice of products and services being influenced by the family life cycle [51]. Kotler et al. [37] found that business people and managers would prefer to be accommodated in tourist units with a higher classification, while office employees tend to choose a variant of affordable accommodation. Lifestyle is the model of behaviour of the individual studying aspects of their values, interests and hobbies. Fraj-Andrés et al. [52] showed that individuals who are interested in the environment and have knowledge of the environment have a sustainable attitude and exhibit corresponding behaviour. From the study by Chen et al. [53] we drew the following conclusions: there is a positive correlation between income, social, environmental and ethical values of consumers of tourist products and services, and in some cases between their sustainable purchasing behaviour and the gender of the individual. An important role in personal factors is played by personal norms, i.e., the self-concept which generates feelings of moral obligation to perform a certain behaviour [54]. Doran and Larsen [54] confirm the results of other studies and validate the hypothesis that personal norms (as intermediaries of social norms) positively influence pro-environmental behaviour. It is considered that the modelling of perceptions on tourist destinations is more important than personal factors [55].

Sustainability in tourism indicates a lack of awareness of the impact of tourism in society observed through everyday behaviours which denote the lack of desire and strength to assume changes in the behaviour of the current tourist. Sustainable behaviour in the context of holidays is intended to be pro-environmental, but we can see that individuals avoid environmentally sustainable behaviours by invoking justifications which denote convenience and generate consumption, pollution, and degradation of the environment [56].

In order to generate sustainable behaviours, it is advisable to involve as many actors in the tourism chain as possible: tourists/guests, managers, and decision makers. Rules can be created to determine the activation of individual values related to the parties involved in tourism, because values are considered guiding principles in life, which can lead to a more sustainable future [57].

2.2.4. The Nexus between Psychological Factors and Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Psychological factors refer to tourists’ characteristics, which determine them to prefer a certain destination, either as a result of services or activities available in that place, or as a result of their perception of the place visited [58].

Psychological factors influence consumer behaviour [37] and include subfactors, such as: motivations, perceptions, emotions, habits and beliefs. Psychological factors also include values, personality, lifestyle, needs, previous experiences and knowledge, preferences and satisfaction [59]. Motivations are based on needs. According to Maslow, needs are classified into five categories: physiological or biological needs, safety needs, social or belonging needs, self-esteem needs, and self-accomplishment needs [60]. Maslow’s pyramid is considered a useful tool for understanding the motivations of consumers of tourism products and/or services, for creating a marketing content in accordance with consumer desires, because consumer goods aim to meet each level of need. Maslow considers that people are motivated to meet their basic needs, indispensable needs, before moving on to other needs. According to the levels of needs in Maslow’s pyramid, each tourist destination must ensure the fulfilment of physiological and safety needs. In the tourist activity, these needs refer to gastronomy and accommodation. The need for safety is reflected in the characteristics of tourist destination, social life and pathological risks specific to the area. Social needs represent the level which ensures the individual’s belonging to a group and satisfies the need for self-esteem. This refers to hospitality, the kindness of the hosts, and the uniqueness of the tourist sphere. Cognitive and aesthetic needs refer to traditions, knowledge, local lifestyle and appreciation of beauty, form and balance. The needs of self-accomplishment refer to the need for self-fulfilment, personal cultivation, personal growth through peak experiences [61]. The motivation process begins with the recognition of needs. The moment a need is accentuated, the need involuntarily turns into a motive [37]. Motivation is associated with individuals when they turn desire into decisions. A person has the ability to adjust, to thrive in the face of adversity and change, and to recover from an atypical case [62]. In this context, we studied the psychological resilience which is based on self-confidence and which can be influenced by changes in the life of the individual [63]. If the individuals are motivated, then they are determined to take action in order to meet their needs. However, perception causes people to make different decisions when they have the same needs, the flow of information being processed by the individual through the five senses: tactile, gustatory, visual, auditory and olfactory. Thus, it is necessary to analyse tourists’ behaviour and how they behaved in previous experiences, travel mode and destination countries [64]. Perceptions are specific to the individual and vary based on selective attention, retention and selective distortion. Consequently, habits were included in the category of psychological factors, because in their daily routines people acquire attitudes, opinions and beliefs. Ştefănică et al. [65] studied the effect of ecological purchases in the consumer behaviour of hotel customers. In conclusion, tourists’ behaviour has a negative impact on the purchase of sustainable and ecological products and services, if among their consumption habits the purchase of such products is rare or absent.

2.2.5. The Nexus between Technological Factors and Tourists’ Sustainable Behaviour

Technological factors bring benefits to the tourism consumer. Tourists enjoy planning a vacation and looking for information about the places they are going to visit and about the quality of tourist products and services. Technology provides real-time information and supports tourists’ travel decisions [35]. At the end of their holiday, tourists express their opinions on various platforms. Quick access to these platforms can be an advantage for tour operators, but also a disadvantage.

Horng et al. [66] analysed how sharing platforms which provide information and knowledge about sustainability influence student tourists’ behaviour. Their conclusion is obvious, these platforms make students more creative and easier to accept the rules of sustainability, changing their attitude and values about travel over time. The factors which tourism actors must take into account are: tourists’ perceptions, travellers’ participation, tourists’ opinions expressed on social networks [67]. Christodoulides et al. [68] conducted a study on how online reviews affected consumers’ buying intentions. From this study it was identified that Western tourist groups had different buying intentions than Asian ones. A survey of Thai travel behaviours in 2019 found that the topics most sought after before going on a trip were: travel routes (57.5%), tourist attractions (49.4%) and accommodation (33.3%) [69]. Thus, based on studies, it was found that tourists’ sustainable behaviour is influenced by the nexus with technological factors.

In the

Table 1. The factors and items which have been collected from the research literature.

The Factors	Items of the Questionnaire	References from the Literature Analysis
Cultural factors (CF)	CF1—I choose an ecological tourist destination	Hofstede [28], Zabel [36], Kotler et al. [37], Sánchez et al. [38], Romão et al. [39], Solomon [40], Keegan and Green [41], Huang and Crotts [42], Farahani and Mohamed [43], Terkenli and Georgoula [44], Nguyen et al. [45]
	CF2—I prefer uniqueness of stay/location
	CF3—I respect the tourist objectives to visit
	CF4—I respect the cultural importance of the place
Social factors (SF)	SF1—I travel to make new friends	Nguyen et al. [45], Sánchez del Río-Vázquez et al. [46], Li, Meng and Zhang [47], Peter and Olson [48], Dibb et al. [49], Tomić, Leković, Tadić [50]
	SF2—It is important to be active in online social networks
	SF3—I post online the most beautiful places I have visited
	SF4—I communicate online to share travel experiences
	SF5—I usually travel to areas recommended in social networks
Personal factors (PF)	PF1—I choose a hotel built compatibly with the natural landscape	Kotler et al. [37], Pemani [51], Fraj-Andrés et al. [52], Chen et al. [53], Doran and Larsen S. [54], MacInnes, Grun and Dolnicar [56], Seidel et al. [57], Butnaru et al. [58]
	PF2—I choose a hotel that has a high-performance waste-recycling system
	PF3—I choose a hotel that has a system of reduction of water consumption
	PF4—I choose a hotel that uses renewable energy
Psychological factors (PsF)	PsF1—I am interested in unique and unusual experiences	Kotler et al. [33], Mudarra-Fernández [59], Rasoolimanesh et al. [60], Czinkota and Ronkainen [61], Šimková and Holzner [62], Weng et al. [63], Wut et al. [64], Ştefănică et al. [65]
	PsF2—I look for comfort on any trip
	PsF3—I am always looking for outdoor activities
	PsF4—I am interested in history and culture
Technological factors (TF)	TF1—I am up to date with the latest innovations in the field of tourism	Dorcic et al. [35], Horng et al. [66], Parra-López et al. [67], Christodoulides et al. [68], Tourism Authority of Thailand [69]
	TF2—I trust payment for a stay or for a hotel reservation on the internet, on a known platform
	TF3—I book plane tickets online
	TF4—I always check online reviews before making a reservation

, there is presented an overview of the studied literature and the items making up the factors that influence the tourists’ sustainable beliefs and behaviour by the nexus with environment, as collected from the analysis of the specialized literature.

3. Materials and Methods

In this paper, a quantitative approach was carried out by investigation, using the designed questionnaire as a data collection tool, with valid results for 492 questionnaires completed. The questionnaire was administered to Generation Z tourists in Romania. The respondents answered an online questionnaire written in the Romanian language and conducted in Google Forms. To ensure the confidentiality of the personal information of the respondents and the reliability of the data collected, the questionnaires were anonymous. Eventually, 492 respondents, all nationals of Romania, were included in our analysis; they had all completed the questionnaires. The measurement scale for the items was a Likert-type construction from 1 to 5 (1 for total disagreement and 5 for total agreement).

The current analysis used several work steps on the formulation, application and validation of the questionnaire. One of the most important steps was based on checking the coherence of the variables thus selected using Cronbach’s Alpha (CA). In the third stage, we used regression analysis to test the proposed hypotheses.

3.1. Theoretical Model

Figure 1 shows the theoretical model of the nexus between tourists’ sustainable behaviour and the factors that influence this behaviour with impact for the protection of environmental quality. The proposed theoretical model is based on five factors collected based on the literature analysis in accordance with the information presented in Table 1.

3.2. Research Hypotheses

Starting from the research studies on the basis of which the theoretical model detailed in Figure 1 was proposed, in our article we tested on the one hand 5 research hypotheses formulated on the basis of 5 factors and 21 research items, which show the tourists’ sustainable behaviour. For the sustainable behaviour of tourists, 6 research items were taken into account, as shown in Table 1. On the other hand, a research hypothesis was tested regarding the nexus established between the tourists’ sustainable behaviour and the conservation of the quality of the environment surrounding, based on 6 research items that represent the actors involved in the education of young people from Generation Z.

Accordingly, the hypotheses of our study are:

Hypothesis 1 (H1).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the cultural factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists.

Hypothesis 2 (H2).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the social factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists.

Hypothesis 3 (H3).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the personal factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists.

Hypothesis 4 (H4).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the psychological factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists.

Hypothesis 5 (H5).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the technological factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists.

Hypothesis 6 (H6).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists and the protection of environmental quality.

4. Research Results and Discussion

The statistical analysis was performed using the data collected on a sample of 492 students by applying the questionnaire. This aspect was described in the introduction and in the research methodology. We used Stata statistical program for the statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics show that out of a number of 492 respondents, 75% are female, while the remaining 25% are male. Regarding the income of the families of Generation Z tourists, 17.68% have an income below 2000 lei, 42.68% have an income between 2000 and 4000 lei, 19.92% between 4000 and 6000 lei, 13.21% between 6000 and 10,000 lei, and 6.50% over 10,000 lei. The information is presented in

Table 2. Descriptive statistics.

		Number	Percentage (%)
Gender	Male	123	25
	Female	369	75
Family income	Under 2000 lei	87	17.68
	2000–4000 lei	210	42.68
	4000–6000 lei	98	19.92
	6000–10,000 lei	65	13.21
	Over 100,000 lei	32	6.50

Source: this calculations based on the statistical analysis Stata software.

.

This statistical analysis (structural model equation), according to Dragan and Topolšek [70] includes:

(a)

Exploratory factor analysis;

(b)

Confirmation factor analysis;

(c)

Estimation of the nexus between the latent factors;

(d)

Validation or invalidation of the model.

The stages of the modelling process of the structural equations follow the recommendations according to Dragan and Topolšek [70], whose model is illustrated in Figure 2. The statistical software used in all stages of the analysis was Stata version 13 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA).

This research was based on the analysis of the factors. It is important that the sample size is large enough. It was used the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy (KMO). This test does show in advance if the size of the analysed sample is right to be able to extract the reliable factors [71]. It is considered difficult to extract reliable factors when the results show a KMO that is close to 0. When KMO is close to 1, one factor or several factors can be extracted, because the proposed model is visible. Therefore, KMO values above 0.9 are superb, values between 0.8 and 0.9 are high, values between 0.7 and 0.8 are good, and values between 0.5 and 0.7 are mediocre [71]. The KMO value of this dataset is 0.892, which can be considered a good result. Another necessary condition for factor analysis is that the variables are measured at an interval level, for example using a Likert scale.

We also carried out a Bartlett sphericity test. For the Bartlett sphericity test (p < 0.05) a good result will be to reach the significance level. In our research, the significance level is 0.000, so there are enough intercorrelations to perform the factor analysis.

Table 3. Prerequisite tests (KMO and Bartlett).

Bartlett Test of Sphericity	Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy
Chi2 = 19,820.855 (0.000)	0.892

Source: this calculations based on the statistical analysis Stata version 13.

presents the results of the KMO and Bartlett sphericity tests.

Next, the Pearson correlation between the variable and the extracted component was tested [72]. The purer the variable of the compo-nent, the higher the load. The stronger the re-lationship between the variable observed and the latent variable, the higher the load. Comrey and Lee [73] often mentioned a guide for interpreting loads, which are: 0.710 = excellent, 0.630 = very good, 0.550 = good, 0.450 = correct and 0.320 = not good. On the other hand, Stevens [72] recommends loads with 0.400 or higher factors, and this is also the methodology we used in the present research. When a variable is loaded on more than one factor, then it is cross loading. Analysing the data carefully, we found that there were no cases of cross loading.

The AVE is used to determine convergent validity. An Average Variance Extracted (AVE) that is higher than 0.5 is preferred, but a value of 0.4 can be accepted argued that if AVE is less than 0.5, but composite reliability is higher than 0.6, the convergent validity of the construct is still adequate.

Composite reliability was applied to test the degree to which the indicator variables converge and share the proportion of variance. The CR value varies between 0 and 1, and a higher value implies a higher level of item reliability. A cut-off point of 0.7 or higher for CR is required to establish that the indicator elements are reliable and that they have shared a large variance with the latent construct. The CR value is calculated as the squared sum of the standardised factor loadings L_i for each construct and the sum of error terms for each construct, as shown in (Equation (1)):

$$\mathrm{CR}=\frac{{({{\displaystyle \sum }}_{i=1}^n{L}_i)}^2}{{({{\displaystyle \sum }}_{i=1}^n{L}_i)}^2+({{\displaystyle \sum }}_{i=1}^n{e}_i)}$$

(1)

AVE, which can be calculated according to the formula in Equation (2).

$$AVE=\frac{1}{n}\times {{\displaystyle \sum }}_{i=1}^n{L}_{i^2},$$

(2)

where L_i is the standardised factor loadings, and n is the number of items.

We used MSV (Maximum Shares Variance) and AVE to determine discriminant validity. Discriminant validity refers to the extent in which factors from one latent variable are uncorrelated to another variable. For discriminant validity, MSV should be lower than AVE. In our study, the results obtained confirm discriminant validity.

Taking into account these recommendations, the factors and questions contained are set out in

Table 4. Factors analysed, values of Cronbach’s alpha index and testing of the validity of the variables.

Latent Variable (Factors)	Items of the Questionnaire (Variables Observed)	Cronbach’s Alpha	Loading (Std)	AVE (Average Variance Extracted)	Construct Validity
Cultural factors (CF)	CF1—I choose an ecological tourist destination	0.769	0.8421	0.509	0.801
	CF2—I prefer uniqueness of stay/location		0.8046
	CF3—I respect the tourist objectives to visit		0.6203
	CF4—I respect the cultural importance of the place		0.5439
Social factors (SF)	SF1—I travel to make new friends	0.857	0.8295	0.530	0.847
	SF2—It is important to be active in online social networks		0.5964
	SF3—I post online the most beautiful places I have visited		0.6752
	SF4—I communicate online to share travel experiences		0.7180
	SF5—I usually travel to areas recommended in social networks		0.7956
Personal factors (PF)	PF1—I choose a hotel built compatibly with the natural landscape	0.829	0.6310	0.555	0.832
	PF2—I choose a hotel that has a high-performance waste-recycling system		0.7899
	PF3—I choose a hotel that has a system of reduction of water consumption		0.7641
	PF4—I choose a hotel that uses renewable energy		0.7845
Psychological factors (PsF)	PsF1—I am interested in unique and unusual experiences	0.809	0.7245	0.491	0.793
	PsF2—I look for comfort on any trip		0.6589
	PsF3—I am always looking for outdoor activities		0.7919
	PsF4—I am interested in history and culture		0.6154
Technological factors (TF)	TF1—I am up to date with the latest innovations in the field of tourism	0.800	0.7558	0.522	0.812
	TF2—I trust payment for a stay or for a hotel reservation on the internet, on a known platform		0.7609
	TF3—I book plane tickets online		0.7692
	TF4—I always check online reviews before making a reservation		0.5893
Tourists’ sustainable behaviour (TSB)	TSB1—Sustainable tourism destinations are more attractive to me	0.910	0.8746	0.611	0.900
	TSB2—I believe that global warming is a real problem		0.8905
	TSB3—Tourism must be developed in harmony with nature		0.8724
	TSB4—I consider myself a tourist interested in environmental sustainability		0.8615
	TSB5—I am responsible for environmental issues		0.6266
	TSB6—I am concerned about protecting the environment		0.4633
Responsibility to educate on the protection of the environmental quality (RE)	RE1—Society is responsible to educate tourists in order to preserve the quality of the environment	0.906	0.7403	0.574	0.890
	RE2—Mass media is responsible for educating tourists in order to preserve the quality of the environment		0.7373
	RE3—Ecological organisations are responsible for educating tourists in order to preserve the quality of the environment		0.6896
	RE4—Travel agencies are responsible for educating tourists in order to preserve the quality of the environment		0.7696
	RE5—Hotels and B&Bs are responsible for educating tourists in order to preserve the quality of the environment		0.7973
	RE6—Local public administration is responsible for educating tourists in order to preserve the quality of the environment		0.8051

Source: calculations based on the statistical analysis Stata version 13. Note: Society, mass-media, ecological organisations, travel agencies, hotels and B&Bs and local public administration represent the actors involved in the education of the youth of Generation Z regarding the preservation of the quality of the environment.

.

Next, to make sure the factors were consistent, we calculated the reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha.

In order to calculate the reliability of the factors, we used Cronbach’s Alpha, with the formula below:

$$\mathsf{\alpha }=(\frac{k}{k-1})(1-\frac{{{\displaystyle \sum }}_{i=1}^k{\left({\mathsf{\pi }}_{\mathrm{yi}}\right)}^2}{{\left({\mathsf{\pi }}_{\mathrm{x}}\right)}^2})$$

(3)

where:

k refers to the number of scale items;

${\left({\mathsf{\pi }}_{\mathrm{yi}}\right)}^2$ refers to the variance associated with item i;

${\left({\mathsf{\pi }}_{\mathrm{x}}\right)}^2$ refers to the variance associated with the observed total scores.

In general, a construction with a Cronbach’s Alpha score of 0.8 is considered extremely reliable, while a score of 0.7 is acceptable [71].

Thus, for cultural factors, Cronbach’s Alpha is 0.769, for social factors it is 0.857, for personal factors it is 0.829, for psychological factors it is 0.809, for technological factors it is 0.800, for the factor related to tourists’ sustainable behaviour it is 0.910, and for the conservation of environmental quality it is 0.906.

The technique of validation of the elements in the model was tested using the Con-firmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) technique. To assess how the model fits the data, we applied multi-criteria indices including chi-square normed (χ²/df), comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) and the root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA), as well as the (Standardized) root-mean-square residual (SRMR).

The

Table 5. Fit indices for the structural model (CFA—Confirmatory factor analysis).

Education Levels	Fit Indices
	chi2/df	RMSEA	CFI	TLI	SRMR
High school	2020.768/528	0.063	0.963	0.951	0.073

Source: this calculations based on the statistical analysis Stata version 13. Note: RMSEA: Root-Mean-Square Error of Approximation; CFI: Comparative Fit Index; TLI: Tucker–Lewis Index; SRMR: Standardized Root-Mean-Squared Residual.

indicates the results and general classification indices for the estimated measurement model using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) according to the level of studies. Goodness of fit measures are used to assess the overall structural model. Chi2/df is 2020.768/528, RMSEA is 0.063, CFI is 0.963, TLI is 0.951 and SRMR is 0.073.

The results of SEM analysis show the confirmation of the hypotheses proposed, except for hypothesis H2: There is a direct and significant nexus between the social factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists, a hypothesis which was not confirmed. The results of the study and the general classification indices for the proposed model are presented in

Table 6. Regression coefficients (SEM output).

	Parameter Estimations
	Coefficient	Is the Hypothesis Supported?
H1: CF→TSB	0.340 *** (0.000)	YES
H2: SF→TSB	−0.098 * (0.067)	NO
H3: PF→TSB	0.680 *** (0.000)	YES
H4: PsF→TSB	0.290 *** (0.000)	YES
H5: TF→TSB	0.220 *** (0.000)	YES
H6: EC→RE	0.350 *** (0.000)	YES

Note: *, *** indicate the fact that p < 0.10, p < 0.01; Source: this calculations based on the statistical analysis Stata version 13.

.

The validation of the model and of the research hypotheses are presented in Figure 3.

5. Conclusions, Limits and Future Research

Knowing that sustainability in tourism activities takes into account the current and future impact on economic, social and environmental systems, our study analysed the connection between the factors that influence the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists who have travel experiences, with the purpose of protecting environmental quality.

Theoretical and empirical approaches investigate the influence of cultural, social, personal, psychological and technological factors on the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists, as well as the effect of ecological behaviour on the conservation of environmental quality.

We used in this study a structural analysis (SEM), which tested the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 1 (H1).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the cultural factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. This hypothesis was tested using the SEM model. Therefore, there is a statistically significant positive nexus between the cultural factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. The hypothesis is thus confirmed, and the results obtained confirm the previous research of Sánchez-Sánchez et al. [38] and Solomon [40].

Hypothesis 2 (H2).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the social factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. This hypothesis was tested using the SEM model. The results obtained support a coefficient of −0.098, with a p of 0.067. The hypothesis cannot be confirmed, since we have not obtained a statistically significant positive nexus between the social factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists.

Hypothesis 3 (H3).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the personal factors and the tourists’ sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive nexus between the personal factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. The results obtained confirm the previous research of López-Bonilla et al. [1].

Hypothesis 4 (H4).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the psychological factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive nexus p between the psychological factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists, with a standardised coefficient of 0.290 with a p of 0.000, thus confirming the hypothesis. The results obtained are similar to those of the study conducted by Mudarra-Fernández [59] and Rasoolimanesh et al. [60], which showed that the psychological factors, including motivations, values, personality, lifestyle, needs, previous experiences, previous knowledge, preferences and satisfaction, have a statistically significant positive effect on the tourists’ sustainable behaviour.

Hypothesis 5 (H5).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the technological factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive nexus between the technological factors and the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists. The hypothesis is thus confirmed, and the results obtained are similar to those in the study conducted by Dorcic et al. [35].

Hypothesis 6 (H6).

There is a direct and significant nexus between the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists and the conservation of environmental quality. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive nexus between the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists as a result of education about the responsibility of conservation of environmental quality. The hypothesis is thus confirmed.

The analytical context of the present study provided an overview of the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z tourists and of the factors which influence this type of behaviour. Even if, in the literature, the sustainable tourist’s profile does not have a standard typology, the results of the present study showed that Generation Z tourists tend to have pro-environmental values. Thus, the perception of Generation Z tourists in Romania was empirically researched regarding the factors which influence their sustainable behaviour. Generation Z is increasingly focusing on low-impact tourism. Studies conducted globally showed a good understanding and a growing receptivity to sustainable forms of travel among tourists, especially among young people in Generation Z. The study is a contribution to the literature on a topic for which researchers’ interest is growing, in a field for which, at least until now, there has been no significant number of studies in the literature on Romanian space. We also consider that the development of the questionnaire used in this study, a valid questionnaire from our point of view, has an important contribution to the literature.

Although the present study brought some interesting results to the fore, there are limitations to how these data can be generalised, as the sample used in the analysis includes predominantly female respondents. Therefore, the results obtained do not necessarily demonstrate general behaviour for all tourists in Romania belonging to Generation Z. Thus, the research tool used could be further improved.

The environment generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has determined the reduction of pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to realize that the behaviour of the consumer of tourist products is extremely important, and only that. The study by Khan et al. [74] show that attitude, knowledge and sustainable behaviour have a major impact on reducing pollution, producing an increase in positive effects on the environment.

In conclusion, tourists should aim at a positive impact on the environment, which is why we consider it important to know the behaviour of Generation Z tourists and what the possible factors are that influence their behaviour.