Ecotourism has been increasingly recognized as a platform for promoting environmental education, particularly among children. However, limited research has addressed how environmental learning occurs within family travel contexts. This study investigates the mechanisms through which family-based ecotourism influences children’s environmental awareness and behavioral intentions in Penang, Malaysia. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research integrates a survey of 402 family tourists with school-aged children and in-depth interviews with 12 selected families. A structural equation model comprising five latent variables—parental environmental values, family travel behavior, children’s educational experiences, environmental awareness, and behavioral intentions—was tested using SmartPLS. Findings indicate that family travel behavior mediates the relationship between parental values and children’s educational experiences, while parental educational facilitation moderates this pathway. Children’s educational experiences significantly predict both environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Age is found to have a positive effect, while gender differences are not significant. The study proposes a “Family-Oriented Ecotourism Education Model,” contributing to the intersection of ecotourism, environmental learning, and family studies. Implications are discussed for destination managers, ecotourism developers, and family education practitioners.
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