GREEN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM: AN ANALYSIS OF THE ROLES OF SOCIAL FACTORS, PERCEPTION, AND RELIGION

Abstract

Green tourism development has become an important strategic orientation to meet sustainability requirements in the context of climate change and resource depletion. In this process, social factors play a crucial role in shaping tourists’ perceptions and behaviors. This study examines the impact of social factors on green tourism development in Vietnam, while clarifying the mediating role of tourists’ green tourism perception and the moderating role of religion. Data were collected from 360 domestic and international tourists who had participated in tourism activities associated with sustainability and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that social factors, including green tourism choice behavior, education and training, cultural tourism resources, and community participation, have positive and statistically significant effects on both green tourism perception and green tourism development. Among these factors, education and training exert the strongest influence. Notably, religion demonstrates a significant moderating effect by strengthening the relationship between green tourism choice behavior and tourists’ perception. This study contributes to extending the socio-cultural perspective in green tourism research and provides policy implications relevant to the contemporary Vietnamese context.