The Impact of Urban Environmental Psychology on Tourists’ Citizenship Behavior: A Case Study of Babolsar City

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

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2 Associate Professor, Department of Tourism Management, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

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10.22034/gp.2026.70498.3485

Abstract

Objective: Urban tourism is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing sectors of the tourism industry, which has gained increasing importance in recent years. The urban environment plays a crucial role in shaping tourists’ experiences, perceptions, and behaviors, influencing how visitors interact with urban spaces and residents. Despite its significance, few studies have directly examined how indicators of urban environmental psychology affect tourists’ citizenship behavior. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of urban environmental psychology dimensions on tourists’ citizenship behavior in Babolsar.

Methods: This applied research uses a descriptive–analytical approach. Data were collected from 385 domestic tourists traveling to Babolsar using a questionnaire and simple random sampling. Additionally, the questionnaire was confirmed in terms of reliability Cronbach’s alpha (α= 0.958), convergent validity (AVE > 0.5), and discriminant validity (HTMT < 0.90). The collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine relationships among latent variables associated with urban environmental psychology and tourists’ citizenship behavior.

Results: The results of this study indicate that psychological indicators of the urban environment had a significant impact on tourists’ citizenship behaviors. Among these indicators, the perceptual dimensions of the urban environment had the strongest influence, followed by the social and visual dimensions, while the physical dimensions of the urban environment showed no significant effect.

Conclusions: The present study bridges the research gap between urban planning, environmental psychology, and urban tourism. It demonstrates how urban environmental psychology indicators can enhance tourists’ overall experiences and promote their engagement in citizenship behaviors, including recommendation and feedback, in urban destinations.

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Journal of Geography and Planning

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 July 2026

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