Behave green or not: conceptualising the environmentally responsible behaviour of Vietnamese generation Z tourists and its transition process

As sustainability becomes increasingly important in the tourism industry, the question of how to facilitate the responsible travel of tourists is attracting great attention in the tourism academia. This study aims to explore the mechanisms behind the decision-making process of tourists on whether to behave environmentally responsibly. The study focuses on Generation Z in Vietnam as its target demographic, conducting 29 comprehensive interviews to gather insights. Data are analysed with thematic analysis to generate fruitful and authentic findings. As a result, the three domains of self-prioritisation, constrained domain and green internalisation emerge to justify the motivations and barriers to adopt environmentally responsible behaviour. A conceptual framework is then proposed with the utilisation of border theory to illustrate the psychological transition process of Generation Z tourists upon making decisions. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are also critically discussed.