An empirical investigation of tourist behavioral intentions for regenerative tourism in Bhaktapur, Nepal

Purpose Regenerative tourism has gained increasing scholarly attention as it seeks to generate net-positive environmental, cultural and social outcomes. However, empirical research examining tourists’ perceptions and behavioral intentions towards regenerative tourism in tourism destinations remains limited, particularly in culturally rich heritage settings such as Bhaktapur, Nepal. Design/methodology/approach This study addresses the regenerative tourism gap by investigating the psychological and social determinants shaping tourists’ engagement with regenerative tourism in Bhaktapur-Nepal, guided by the extended theory of planned behavior from 230 tourists’ primary survey data. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS 4.1 were used to examine the relationships among attitude, curiosity, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, subjective norms and behavioral intention. Findings The findings demonstrate that attitude, curiosity and subjective norms significantly and positively influence Bhaktapur tourists’ intentions to engage in regenerative tourism practices. Perceived usefulness further reinforces behavioral intention, highlighting the importance of perceived environmental, cultural and experiential value creation. Despite these positive orientations, the study reveals a persistent intention–behavior gap among tourists visiting Bhaktapur, largely attributed to low levels of awareness, limited regenerative tourism opportunities, weak institutional support and insufficient community involvement. Originality/value These findings underscore the structural and governance-related barriers that constrain the translation of pro-regenerative intentions into practice. The study contributes to sustainable tourism scholarship by empirically extending behavioral intention frameworks to regenerative tourism and by situating tourist behavior within broader socio-ecological systems. Practically, the findings emphasize the need for integrated destination governance, community-led tourism models and targeted educational interventions to facilitate regenerative transitions.