Editorial: Sustainable tourism behavior formation and sport tourism engagement

Prior research published in ABAC Journal demonstrates that sustainable tourism behavior emerges from the interplay of structural conditions, psychological mechanisms, experiential factors and broader contextual influences. Low-carbon attributes act as key drivers of sustainable behavior (Worrachananun, 2025), while low-carbon gastronomy experiences shape satisfaction, destination image, revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behavior (Suwannakul, Khetjenkarn, Suppavorasatit, & Nan, 2025). Responses to sustainability initiatives are shaped by identity and symbolic interpretation, where misalignment between moral identity and economic incentives may reduce engagement despite pro-sustainability positioning (Wattanawaraporn & Manosuthi, 2025), while sustainable behavior can also emerge from dual motivational pathways in which normative influences and heritage-based values operate across different stages of behavior (Manosuthi, 2025). Green practices influence behavioral intentions through cognitive–affective processes, where perceived value mediates their effects on satisfaction and intention to stay, while individual innovativeness and cultural differences shape these relationships (Inprasertkul, Boonparkob, Khetjenkarn, & Boonyasarn, 2025). Sustainable tourism outcomes are further shaped by destination development factors such as brand identity and regional attributes that influence tourist preferences and satisfaction (Manosuthi, 2024), as well as by broader economic conditions, including foreign direct investment and energy price dynamics that affect tourism growth trajectories (Nghiem, Duong, Pham, & Yang, 2024).

Extending prior research, Fakfare, Sertsri, Hemapanpairo, and Worrachananun (2026) advance the literature by reframing sustainable behavior as an outcome of persuasion-driven normative processes rather than solely structural or experiential influences. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the study integrates dual-route persuasion with moral norm activation, highlighting how cognitive and affective cues jointly shape norm-based engagement within UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy contexts. By combining partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with necessary condition analysis (NCA), the study further distinguishes between influential and indispensable factors, showing that sustainable behavior depends not only on persuasive strength but also on the presence of critical conditions that enable normative activation. This perspective positions moral norms as a pivotal mediating mechanism linking dual-route persuasion to behavior, highlighting how both central and peripheral cues jointly shape norm-based sustainable actions.

Prior research published in ABAC Journal demonstrates that engagement and behavioral intentions in sport tourism are shaped by a combination of motivational drivers, experiential design, marketing stimuli and multi-layered psychological mechanisms. Volunteer participation and engagement in sports events are shaped by diverse and heterogeneous antecedents, highlighting the need for integrative frameworks to capture the complexity of underlying motivations across contexts (Chutiphongdech, Zhao, & Kim, 2024). Traditional Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) approaches are extended through necessity logic, demonstrating that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control serve not only as predictors but also as indispensable conditions for the intention to visit sport events (Wattanawaraporn & Manosudhtikul, 2024). Engagement in sport events is influenced by event-related attributes, where marketing mix elements such as product, people and physical evidence enhance spectator interest and participation (Napontun et al., 2023), while push–pull factors and commitment processes further explain how engagement is formed and sustained in sport event contexts (Satitsamitpong, Napontun, Senachai, Tovara, & Daengmeesee, 2024). Behavioral intentions in sport tourism are shaped by cognitive, affective and situational factors, including perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, nostalgia, satisfaction, perceived benefits and perceived risk, with evidence highlighting the strong influence of satisfaction and nostalgia in driving future engagement (Manosudhikul, 2024). Research synthesizing sport tourism literature highlights destination image, event quality and tourist satisfaction as core constructs that shape behavioral intentions, with satisfaction mediating the relationship between perceptions and future engagement (Senachai, Leruksa, & Sathatip, 2025).

Extending prior research, Manosuthi and Senachai (2026) advance the literature by reframing incentive effectiveness in sport tourism as a configurational outcome shaped by alignment rather than linear causal effects. The study introduces the propositional set on configurational incentives (PSCI), emphasizing that participation, satisfaction and stewardship outcomes depend on the alignment among structural design, symbolic meaning and contextual capacity. Using a multi-method approach that integrates structural equation modeling (SEM) with response surface analysis, the findings show that structural incentives operate through perceived fairness and authenticity, with outcomes strengthened under conditions of congruence between structural and symbolic attributes. Importantly, misalignment generates asymmetric effects, where symbolic deficits produce disproportionately stronger negative consequences than structural limitations. The study further demonstrates that contextual capacity acts as a contingency factor, intensifying alignment effects in resource-constrained settings, while symbolic meaning complements rather than substitutes structural incentives.

To clarify how the articles in this issue collectively extend existing scholarship, Table 1 summarizes established knowledge and highlights the novel contributions across the two themes.