Tourist Behavior in Reducing Plastic Waste at Viet Nam’s Coastal Destinations

Plastic waste generated by tourism activities increasingly burdens the environment of coastal destinations in Viet Nam. Understanding tourists’ behavior regarding plastic waste reduction is crucial for developing effective interventions at the destination level. This study employs the COM-B framework to analyze how Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation influence tourists’ plastic waste reduction behaviors at selected Viet Namese coastal sites. Data were gathered through a structured survey of 895 tourists and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability tests, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. Results show that Motivation has the most significant impact on waste reduction behavior, followed by Capability, with Opportunity exerting a lesser effect. The model accounts for a substantial portion of behavioral variation (R² = 0.743), indicating strong links between the COM-B components and self-reported behaviors. These findings enhance empirical understanding of the COM-B framework in coastal tourism settings and offer practical insights for policymakers and destination managers aiming to encourage plastic waste reduction among tourists.