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Explora: Environment
and Resource Carbon neutrality and low-carbon behavior in space tourism

space tourism, focusing on activities bound to Earth and willingness to contribute financially to low-carbon space
supplemented by cyberspace tourism, as well as atmospheric tourism in the future and to evaluate the influence of diverse
and low-Earth-orbit tourism. In addition, it extends to factors on their behavioral intentions. By analyzing tourists’
astrotourism, which ventures into experiences beyond comprehension and intentions regarding low-carbon space
Earth’s orbit, such as lunar and Mars expeditions. At tourism, this study aims to formulate recommendations
3,4
present, there is a competitive space race underway among grounded in the collected data. Clarifying these aspects can
various commercial space tourism enterprises such as pave the way for effectively promoting low-carbon tourism
Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. The thriving among space tourists, ultimately enabling governments and
commercial space flights conducted by these space tourism businesses to devise sustainable strategies for space tourism.
companies in 2021 have showcased the viability of space Therefore, the outcomes of this research hold substantial
tourism. However, space tourism should pay more attention practical implications.
to the potential environmental pollution not only from To achieve these goals, this article employs event
the supply side but also from consumers, with the latter system theory (EST) as a theoretical framework to address
depending on the awareness of low-carbon space tourism. the following research questions through field and online
Researchers have long been interested in the link between questionnaires:
space tourism and environmental pollution. Similarly, (i) To what extent does the concept of carbon neutrality
1,5
there is a well-documented positive relationship regarding influence tourists’ motivations for low-carbon space
motivation, awareness, and behavioral intention for low- tourism and their awareness of it?
carbon tourism. As a form of adventure travel, space tourism (ii) How do tourists’ motivations for low-carbon space
could dramatically change global atmospheric circulation, tourism and their awareness of it impact their
ozone distribution, and temperature patterns with 1,000 behavioral intentions toward such tourism?
new suborbital launches using hybrid rocket motors. In (iii) What is the correlation between carbon neutrality,
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China, the carbon neutrality goal is an important initiative motivation, awareness, and behavioral intention
formulated by the state to mitigate severe climate changes toward low-carbon space tourism?
in the long term. In September 2020, General Secretary Xi This study endeavors to develop a conceptual model
solemnly declared that China has set the time for achieving grounded in the EST, specifically examining the relationship
carbon neutrality before 2060. 7
between the perceived intensity of the “Carbon Neutral
With the increasingly prominent issue of global Goal” concept and its implications for low-carbon space
warming and the increasingly severe deterioration of tourism motivation, awareness, and behavioral intention.
the world’s climate, the frequent occurrence of extreme The study’s objectives, tailored to the context of space
weather in various countries has seriously endangered tourism, are as follows:
human health, safety, and living environment. The (i) To investigate the influence of the perceived intensity
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the of the “Carbon Neutral Goal” concept on tourists’
United Nations stated in its Third Assessment Report that motivation for low-carbon travel;
the warming effect of many greenhouse gases, such as (ii) To analyze the impact of the perceived intensity of the
carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane emitted from “Carbon Neutral Goal”’ concept on tourists’ awareness
human activities in recent years, is the main reason for of low-carbon tourism;
global warming. Therefore, there has been a paradigm shift (iii) To examine the effect of low-carbon travel motivation
in the concept toward a low-carbon economy, which has (LCM) on tourists’ awareness of low-carbon tourism;
become a consensus among countries worldwide. As a type (iv) To explore how LCM and awareness jointly influence
of green tourism with low energy consumption and low tourists’ behavioral intention toward low-carbon
pollution, low-carbon tourism has also become a focus of space tourism;
attention in the world tourism industry and a hot research (v) To investigate the mediating role of LCM in shaping
topic in academia. tourists’ behavioral intentions;
Centered on carbon neutrality, this study adopts (vi) To assess the mediating function of low-carbon
a questionnaire approach to investigate factors that tourism awareness (LCA) in influencing tourists’
shape tourists’ behavioral intentions toward low-carbon behavioral intention.
space tourism. The primary focus is examining tourists’
awareness and motivations regarding this concept in 2. Model construction
Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, and the Macao Special Based on the EST, this study constructed a research model
Administrative Region. The objective is to ascertain tourists’ to investigate the influence of the carbon neutrality goal

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 2 doi: 10.36922/eer.3655