Understanding how social media shapes tourists’ pro-environmental behavior in forest destinations

Introduction The growing influence of social media has transformed the ways tourists access information, form perceptions, and engage with environmental issues. However, limited attention has been paid to the psychological processes through which social media shapes pro-environmental behavior, particularly in forest tourism settings. This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of social media on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior through environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, environmental values, and subjective norms. Methods Data were collected from 586 visitors across multiple forest destinations in Shandong Province, China, using a structured questionnaire. The survey instrument underwent expert review, pilot testing, and a translation–back translation procedure to ensure content validity and linguistic equivalence. The proposed model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results The results indicate that social media significantly influences environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, environmental values, subjective norms, and pro-environmental behavior. Environmental attitude emerged as the strongest predictor of pro-environmental behavior, while environmental values were most strongly affected by social media. Furthermore, all four mediating variables significantly transmitted the influence of social media on pro-environmental behavior, with the combined indirect effect exceeding the direct effect. Discussion These findings suggest that social media functions not only as a source of environmental information but also as a mechanism that shapes tourists’ environmental values, attitudes, and social perceptions. The study contributes to sustainable tourism research by advancing understanding of the psychological pathways through which digital communication environments encourage environmentally responsible behavior.