From green values to electric journeys: How sustainability beliefs, destination identity, and institutional trust shape tourist mobility choices

The study aims to examine how sustainability beliefs, destination identity, and institutional trust interact in shaping tourists’ readiness to adopt electric mobility as part of sustainable tourism transitions. It seeks to identify the psychological, perceptual, and governance factors influencing pro-environmental travel intentions, using Slovenia as a model of a cross-border “green corridor” within Central Europe. Data were collected from 613 international travelers transiting through or visiting Slovenia between May and August 2025. A structured questionnaire based on Value–Belief–Norm, Place Identity, and Institutional Trust theories was administered online and on-site. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses validated four latent constructs—Green Values, Destination Identity, Institutional Confidence, and E-Mobility Intention—while structural equation modelling tested hypothesised relationships and mediation effects. Although the four-factor model exhibited strong reliability and validity, the hypothesized relationships among values, identity, trust, and intention were weak or nonsignificant. The findings reveal a persistent attitude–behaviour gap, indicating that pro-environmental beliefs do not automatically translate into behavioral adoption. Institutional confidence failed to mediate behavioral readiness, suggesting limited influence of governance credibility in tourists’ decision-making. Sustainable mobility adoption depends less on moral conviction than on contextual salience—visible infrastructure, convenience, and normative cues. Strengthening these conditions may bridge the gap between ecological aspiration and real behavioral change.