Abstract
Tourist cooperation is essential for effective management of invasive plant species in national parks. At the trail entrances of Mt. Fuji, scraper mats have been installed to remove seeds of plants from tourists’shoes. The imperative is to devise interventions to encourage tourists to use the mats. This study aims to identify the psychological factors influencing the behavior and behavioral intention of using the mats. We conducted a questionnaire survey to examine the influence of the following six factors: （i） attitude, （ii） norms, （iii） perceived behavioral control, （iv） place attachment,
（v） risk perception, and （vi） knowledge about the role of the mats. The results showed that knowledge of the mats and norms were positively related to the behavior. Thus, information provision about the role of the mats and normative appeals at the trail entrances may encourage tourists to use the mats. Additionally, the behavioral intention to use the mats next time was influenced by perceived behavioral control, risk perception, and attitude. Therefore, strategies to reduce the time and psychological costs of the behavior as well as emphasis on the risk of invasive plants and the significance of using the mats may motivate tourists to use the mats in the future.
