How Sensory Impression Affects Pro-environmental Behavior Through Community Participation in Mountain Tourism

This study investigates the influence pathways of sensory impression shaping on pro-environmental behavior in mountain tourism from the perspective of community participation. Against the backdrop of sustainable tourism development, plateau and mountain destinations face dual challenges of ecological conservation and tourism growth. Community participation is identified as a core factor in achieving sustainable tourism, as it directly impacts the effectiveness of environmental management and the quality of tourists’ experiences. Sensory impressions, formed through multi-sensory experiences such as vision, hearing, and smell, play a crucial role in shaping tourists ‘cognitive and emotional connections with the destination, thereby influencing their pro-environmental behaviors. Community participation enriches these sensory experiences by integrating local knowledge, cultural heritage, and authentic lifestyle elements into tourism activities, enhancing the authenticity and uniqueness of tourists ‘sensory impressions and fostering deeper place attachment and environmental responsibility. The study constructs a theoretical framework showing that sensory impressions directly stimulate pro-environmental behaviors through emotional resonance and cognitive enhancement. It provides practical strategies for tourism managers to optimize sensory impression shaping, such as designing unique visual landscapes, creating rich auditory environments, and promoting distinctive olfactory experiences. Additionally, it emphasizes strengthening community involvement in tourism services, cultural heritage preservation, and environmental protection activities to establish a positive feedback mechanism. This research offers valuable insights for balancing tourism growth and ecological conservation in plateau and mountain regions and highlights the need for future multi-disciplinary analyses to further explore these complex relationships. By enhancing community participation and optimizing sensory experiences, this study aims to provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable mountain tourism management, contributing to both theoretical advancements and practical applications in the field. Future research could focus on empirical studies to validate these findings and explore the long-term impacts of sensory impression shaping and community participation on sustainable tourism development.