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

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 (alpha = 0.769), personal factors (alpha = 0.829), psychological factors (alpha = 0.809), technological factors (alpha = 0.800), sustainable behaviour of young tourists (alpha = 0.910), social factors (alpha = 0.857) and conservation of the environmental quality (alpha = 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.