Factors Influencing the Adoption of Regenerative Tourism Frameworks Among Hospitality Students in Post-Disaster Geographical Regions

Abstract

The concept of regenerative tourism has gained significance in the wake of a disaster situation, where regenerating the ecosystem, communities, and socio-economic development can be promoted. The role of hospitality students as future practitioners cannot be underestimated in the context of implementing a regenerative tourism framework, but the factors that affect its implementation by these students are less understood. The current study focuses on understanding the factors affecting hospitality students' intention to implement regenerative tourism in the quake-hit areas of Kutch region, Gujarat, India. A cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires based on the Theory of Planned Behavior framework was administered to 250 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Knowledge, attitudes, intention to behave, and institutional support were assessed and subjected to pilot testing, followed by reliability analysis through Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.83). Descriptive and SEM analyses were done on the data collected. Findings showed that knowledge had positive influence on attitude (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) and intention (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). Attitude was identified to be the most influential factor towards intention (β = 0.51, p < 0.001) while institutional support played a significant role (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). This implies the importance of a collective approach which includes awareness, perceptions, and educational influence towards achieving regeneration of tourism frameworks. There are implications for incorporating regenerative tourism modules in hospitality courses, experiential learning, and policymaking concerning tourism recovery from disasters. This study presents a theoretical framework to enhance the development of educational initiatives for engaging students in sustainable tourism practices.