On the road again: exploring sustainability in motion through the theory of planned behaviour and climate worry in sports tourism

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological and demographic factors that influence people’s intentions to reduce their carbon footprint when traveling to sporting events. As environmental concerns grow, understanding how climate change impacts sport tourism behavior is critical to promoting sustainable practices in this space. Methodology/Design/Approach – A cross-sectional correlational design was used, drawing on survey data from 309 participants. PLS-SEM was used to examine the predictors of sustainable travel intentions. Findings – The model explained 44% of the variance in intention (R² = .44) to reduce carbon emissions while traveling to sporting events. Climate change worry significantly predicted behavioral intention (β = .21, p < .001), while climate engagement showed no direct effect (β = .09, p = .203) but had a significant indirect effect through the TPB variables (β = .22, p < .001). Travel-related barriers also emerged as significant predictors. Gen Z, males, and frequent attendees showed lower intentions to reduce their travel-related carbon footprint compared to Millennials, females, and infrequent attendees. Originality of the research – This research contributes to the field of sustainable sport tourism by highlighting psychological and demographic predictors that will help sport events to carry out targeted interventions for the adoption of low-carbon practices from travelers.