Sustainable Tourist Behaviour Scale (STBS)

A Proposal

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v19.3161

Keywords:

Sustainable behaviour, Ecological behaviour, Socio-cultural behaviour, Economic behaviour, Measurement validation

Abstract

Measuring sustainable tourist behaviour is fundamental to strengthening more responsible tourism, as it directly influences environmental conservation, social well-being and local economic development. The objective is to validate a measurement scale for sustainable behaviour among tourists. A total of 421 observations were collected from tourists residing in the State of Mexico, Mexico. The methodology involved cross-validation through a) a Psychological Network Analysis (PNA) and b) a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The result yielded a scale with 17 validated indicators. The network analysis identified that individual behaviours (nodes) have significant interactions, highlighting participation in community-beneficial activities, respectful treatment of residents, purchasing local products and crafts, as well as pro-environmental practices. The factor analysis confirmed a three-dimensional structure reflecting sustainable behaviour from ecological, socio-cultural, and economic aspects. Methodological integration constitutes an innovative contribution to scientific progress, as it deciphers patterns of interaction between indicators and dimensions, thereby establishing a novel paradigm for addressing tourism sustainability. The validation of this instrument has important practical implications, serving as a foundation for diagnostics, interventions, and policy design aimed at promoting sustainable tourism.

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Author Biographies

Alejandro Delgado Cruz, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

Professor at the Faculty of Tourism and Gastronomy, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Mexico. He holds a PhD in Management and Executive Direction, a Master’s degree in Tourism Studies, a Specialisation in Tourism Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Gastronomy. He is the lead of the Research and Innovation Network for Gastronomy and Tourism (RIIGATUR, from the Spanish: Red de Investigación e Innovación para la Gastronomía y el Turismo). His research interests include sustainability, innovation, and tourism. Authors contributions: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Martín Valdés Nava, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

Doctoral student in the Environmental Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Mexico. Academic at Official High School 319, Ministry of Public Education, Mexico. He holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Management. His research interests include sustainability, education, and tourism. Author contributions: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Raúl Gómez Vázquez, Universidad Intercultural del Estado de Puebla

Professor at the Division of Natural Sciences, Intercultural University of the State of Puebla, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, a Master’s in Rural Agroindustry, Territorial Development, and Agri-food Tourism, a Bachelor’s degree in International Economic Relations, and a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism. He is a member of the Research and Innovation Network for Gastronomy and Tourism (RIIGATUR, for its acronym in Spanish: Red de Investigación e Innovación para la Gastronomía y el Turismo). His research interests include sustainability, solidarity economy, and rural tourism.

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Published

2025-11-17

How to Cite

Cruz, A. D., Nava, M. V., & Gómez Vázquez, R. (2025). Sustainable Tourist Behaviour Scale (STBS): A Proposal. Revista Brasileira De Pesquisa Em Turismo, 19, 3161 . https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v19.3161

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Vol. 19 (2025)

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Articles - Tourism Management

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Copyright (c) 2025 Alejandro Delgado Cruz, Martín Valdés Nava, Raúl Gómez Vázquez

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