Understanding ecotourists’ responsible tourism intention in Sarawak through social cognitive theory

Sarawak’s tourism industry relies heavily on ecotourism as most attractions are nature-based. Since 2021, the state government has actively promoted responsible tourism; however, research on ecotourists' intentions for responsible tourism in Sarawak remains limited. This study is grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to investigate the role of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, awareness, and perceived value in shaping responsible tourism intentions. Data were collected via questionnaires at selected ecotourism sites, yielding 405 responses, of which 383 were retained for analysis after cleaning. Using PLS-SEM, the findings indicate that outcome expectations and awareness significantly influence responsible tourism intention. In contrast, self-efficacy and perceived value do not significantly influence responsible tourism intention. These results highlight that ecotourists in Sarawak are more driven by their awareness of and outcome expectations for responsible practices than by self-efficacy or perceived value. Theoretically, the study extends SCT by emphasising the importance of cognitive factors in responsible tourism. Practically, it suggests that policymakers and industry players should focus on raising awareness, communicating positive outcomes, and improving facilities to create a more enabling environment for responsible tourism.