Shaping sustainable tourism behavior among elderly tourists: Roles of low carbon literacy and social-environmental awareness

As Thailand transitions into an aging society, elderly tourists have become an increasingly influential demographic in advancing sustainable tourism. However, limited research has explored how older adults adopt sustainability practices, particularly within the Thai tourism context. To address this gap, this study investigates the relationships among low carbon literacy, social awareness, environmental awareness, and sustainable tourism behavior among Thai elderly tourists. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, the study hypothesizes that low carbon literacy positively influences awareness factors, which in turn drive sustainable tourism behavior. Quantitative data were collected from 523 individuals aged 55 and older across six regions of Thailand and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, F-tests, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that low carbon literacy significantly enhances both social and environmental awareness, which subsequently exert strong positive effects on sustainable tourism behavior. Environmental awareness emerged as the most influential factor, while social awareness served as a key mediator. Although low carbon literacy had a moderate direct effect, its indirect influence through awareness was substantial. Demographic variables such as gender, age, education, and income also moderated awareness levels and behavioral outcomes. The findings extend TPB by proposing a hybrid model (TPB+) that incorporates affective and normative pathways. This study contributes to the tourism and sustainability literature by offering theoretical insights and practical implications for inclusive policy design, ESG-aligned strategies, and educational initiatives that position elderly travelers as agents of sustainable change.