INTEGRATING TPB, VAB AND GENERATION THEORY IN STUDYING THE GREEN TOURISM BEHAVIOR OF GENERATION Z: A STUDY IN VIETNAM

The objective of this study is to identify and analyze factors that influence Generation Z's green travel behavior. Through a literature review and analysis of secondary data, the study approached Theory of planned behavior (TPB) and theory of values, attitudes and behavior (VAB), generational theory. On that basis, the research has identified two groups of factors that influence the intention to choose green tourism and the influence of the intention to choose green tourism on the green travel behavior of Generation Z (Gen Z) including (1) Factors that directly affect the intention to choose green tourism: Attitudes toward , subjective norm towards and perceived control; (2) a group of factors that directly affect the attitudes toward the intention to choose green tourism and indirectly affect the intention to choose green tourism include: Environmental concern, action for the environment, Ego perception. A survey based on a sample of 270 domestic and international tourists of Gen Z participating in green tourism experiences at famous tourist destinations in Vietnam. Collected data were cleaned and SmartPLS software was used to evaluate the fit, reliability and SEM structural model to test the relationship of the research model. The research results confirm that all direct relationships between variables are statistically significant and all research hypotheses are accepted at the confidence level from 80.6% to 93.5%. These findings provide empirical evidence of the influential relationships and are the basis for proposing some implications for destination management organizations, tourism businesses and other stakeholders to more effectively promote green tourism consumption behaviors of tourists in general and Generation Z in particular.