The Impact of Mandatory Reusable Container Use at Festivals on Tourists’ Behavioral Intentions: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB) and the Sequential Mediation Effects of Perceived Value and Inconvenience

Purpose Amid the escalating climate crisis, this study investigates whether the “mandatory use of reusable containers” at festivals functions not only as an environmental measure but also influences visitors’ behavioral intentions, exploring its potential as a strategic approach for festival revitalization. Methods Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB), the study sets attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control as independent variables; perceived value and inconvenience as mediators; and behavioral intention as the dependent variable. Fifteen hypotheses were tested using data from 511 valid responses collected at the 2024 Gochu Festival in Goesan-gun, South Korea, analyzed via structural equation modeling(SEM) and bootstrapping. Results All three TPB components significantly influenced both perceived value and behavioral intention, with perceived behavioral control having the strongest effect. Inconvenience did not significantly impact behavioral intention. Perceived value showed a mediating effect, while the dual mediation of perceived value and inconvenience was not supported. These results highlight the importance of enhancing visitors’ perceived control and value to ensure the sustainability of such practices. Conclusion Even if reusable container use causes some inconvenience, visitors’ behavioral intentions increase when usage is perceived as easy and valuable. This suggests that psychological perception is key, and festival planning should focus on user-friendly design, emotional feedback, and effective information delivery rather than infrastructure alone.