The Role of Emotional Experience and Emotional Attachment in Generating Eco-Tourism Revisit Intention: A Gender-Based Perspective

Abstract

The role of emotional experience, attachment, and ecotourism revisit intention is vital in the domain of tourism. The current study explains the causal relationship between emotional attachment, experience, perceived value, environmental commitment, and ecotourism revisiting intention with the perception of gender. Similarly, this research aim was to know the influence of emotional experience and attachment on perceived values, environmental commitment, and ecotourism revisit intention. Emotional experience and attachment are the independent variables, and ecotourism revisit intention is the dependent variable. There is also a mediation effect of environmental commitment and perceived values between emotional attachment, experience, and ecotourism revisit intention. The study used a quantitative research method with a positivistic approach, and the study population was Gilgit Baltistan. A purposive sampling technique was used, and the sample size was (N=440). The data was collected through a questionnaire, and data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The study's results revealed that emotional attachment and experiences significantly positively affect perceived value, environmental commitment, and ecotourism revisit intention when added to gender perception. It is concluded that gender-based emotional attachment, experience, and acts toward their environment cause varied explanations of ecotourism’s revisit intention. There has been a growing understanding that ecotourism revisit intention based on gendered emotional experiences and attachment with the aid of environmental commitment and perceived values needs to be a better strategy for overall tourism.