Purpose – This study aims to examine the decisive factors that affect travellers’ intention to visit ecotourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach – Convenience sampling method was used to develop a research sample. The research sample includes visitors at eight ecotourism destinations in Vietnam who were randomly approached and agreed to participate in a structured questionnaire survey. The data set consists of 431 valid responses. Amultivariate analysis method was used to analyse the data. Findings – This study finds strong correlations between three factors that are important in determining the Vietnamese travellers’ intention to visit ecotourism locations. These are environmental concern, future time perspective (defined as individual views towards the importance of future time) and eco-destinations image (understood as individual perceptions of an ecotourism place). This study also reports robust associations between eco-destination image, future time perspective and environmental concern. Practical implications – This study suggests policymakers in an emerging economy such as Vietnam to use efficient regulations on protecting the natural environment in tourism locations while tourismproviders and marketers should invest in building eco-image of travel locations. This study also recommends public organisations to encourage greater awareness of the importance of environmental protection through education, propaganda and media as this will foster the demand for ecotourism. Last but not least, this study advises tourism marketers to develop marketing materials emphasising future time perspective and eco-destination images if they wish to promote ecotourism. Originality/value – This study highlights the influential role of travellers’ future time perspective and ecodestination image in their travel intention. The existing literature does not pay sufficient attention to the impacts that these two considerations have on travellers’ environmental concerns and consequently stimulate their intention to visit ecotourism destinations. This study suggests relevant management strategies for the development of ecotourism in emerging economies.

中文翻译：

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生态旅游意向：环境关注、时间视角和目的地形象的作用

目的——本研究旨在研究影响旅行者访问生态旅游目的地意愿的决定性因素。设计/方法/途径——方便抽样方法用于开发研究样本。研究样本包括来自越南八个生态旅游目的地的游客，这些游客被随机访问并同意参与结构化问卷调查。该数据集包含 431 个有效响应。采用多元分析方法对数据进行分析。调查结果——本研究发现三个因素之间存在很强的相关性，这三个因素对于确定越南游客访问生态旅游地点的意图很重要。这些都是环境问题，未来时间观点（定义为个人对未来时间重要性的看法）和生态目的地形象（理解为个人对生态旅游地的看法）。这项研究还报告了生态目的地形象、未来时间前景和环境问题之间的强大关联。实际意义——这项研究建议越南等新兴经济体的政策制定者使用有效的法规来保护旅游地点的自然环境，而旅游提供商和营销人员应投资建设旅游地点的生态形象。本研究还建议公共组织通过教育、宣传和媒体来鼓励人们提高对环境保护重要性的认识，因为这将促进对生态旅游的需求。最后但并非最不重要的，本研究建议旅游营销人员如果希望促进生态旅游，就开发强调未来时间视角和生态目的地形象的营销材料。原创性/价值——本研究强调了旅行者的未来时间视角和生态目的地形象在其旅行意图中的影响作用。现有文献没有充分关注这两种考虑对旅行者的环境问题的影响，从而激发他们访问生态旅游目的地的意愿。本研究提出了新兴经济体生态旅游发展的相关管理策略。原创性/价值——本研究强调了旅行者的未来时间视角和生态目的地形象在其旅行意图中的影响作用。现有文献没有充分关注这两种考虑对旅行者的环境问题的影响，从而激发他们访问生态旅游目的地的意愿。本研究提出了新兴经济体生态旅游发展的相关管理策略。原创性/价值——本研究强调了旅行者的未来时间视角和生态目的地形象在其旅行意图中的影响作用。现有文献没有充分关注这两种考虑对旅行者的环境问题的影响，从而激发他们访问生态旅游目的地的意愿。本研究提出了新兴经济体生态旅游发展的相关管理策略。