From place attachment to sustainable urban tourism: examining residents’ pro-social and pro-environmental pathways

This study examines how residents’ perceived tourism benefits are associated with place attachment, pro-social behavior, pro-environmental behavior, and support for sustainable tourism development in the tourism-intensive hill towns of Shimla and Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India. Survey data from 451 adult residents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Only the combined social-and-environmental-benefits construct was significantly associated with place attachment. Place attachment was positively associated with both pro-social and pro-environmental behavior, and pro-social behavior was positively associated with pro-environmental behavior. Pro-environmental behavior, but not pro-social behavior directly, was positively associated with support for sustainable tourism development. The significant indirect association between pro-social behavior and support through pro-environmental behavior suggests that general concern for others may become relevant to tourism support when expressed as concrete environmental action. The study contributes context-specific evidence on residents’ sustainability pathways in Indian hill towns and highlights resident-inclusive environmental stewardship.