Achieving voluntary reductions in the carbon footprint of tourism and climate change

This study examines attitudes to tourism and climate change among residents of Hong Kong and evaluates their willingness to voluntarily modify travel behaviours to reduce environmental impacts. Previous studies on environmental behavioural change identified a significant gap between awareness and action, with some studies even suggesting that the most aware individuals are unlikely to change their behaviours. Similar findings were noted in this study. Cluster analysis identified four cohorts of tourists, ranging from the regular international tourist to the least travel active. The regular international tourist group was most aware of global warming and climate change, but least willing to alter its travel behaviour. By contrast, less travel active tourists seem most willing to travel less. The paper concludes that government intervention may be required to create meaningful behavioural change in travel patterns.

[1]  L. Reisch,et al.  Summary for Policy Makers , 2004 .

[2]  Amrik Singh.  Asia pacific tourism industry: Current trends and future outlook , 1997 .

[3]  S. Becken.  How Tourists and Tourism Experts Perceive Climate Change and Carbon-offsetting Schemes , 2004 .

[4]  Jillian Anable,et al.  An evidence-based review of public attitudes to climate change and transport behaviour - final report , 2006 .

[5]  P. Ester,et al.  Cultural change and environmentalism: a cross-national approach of mass publics and decision makers , 2004 .

[6]  J. Anable,et al.  AN EVIDENCE BASE REVIEW OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSPORT BEHAVIOUR , 2006 .

[7]  H. Clark.  Planning Research in Hospitality and Tourism , 2008 .

[8]  Roy Brouwer,et al.  “A convenient truth”: air travel passengers’ willingness to pay to offset their CO2 emissions , 2008 .

[9]  R. Law,et al.  The relevance of profiling travel activities for improving destination marketing strategies , 2004 .

[10]  D. Scott,et al.  Consequences of Climate Policy for International Tourist Arrivals in Developing Countries , 2008 .

[11]  David Maddison,et al.  In Search of Warmer Climates? The Impact of Climate Change on Flows of British Tourists , 2001 .

[12]  Paul Peeters,et al.  Voluntary Carbon Offsetting Schemes for Aviation: Efficiency, Credibility and Sustainable Tourism , 2007 .

[13]  Callum Thomas,et al.  Discussion Note: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Air Travel Demand: Hyper-Mobility in the UK? , 2006 .

[14]  Daniel Scott,et al.  Climate change and the skiing industry in southern Ontario (Canada): exploring the importance of snowmaking as a technical adaptation , 2003 .

[15]  S. Williams,et al.  Climate change in Australian tropical rainforests: an impending environmental catastrophe , 2003, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences.

[16]  N. Stern.  The Economics of Climate Change: Implications of Climate Change for Development , 2007 .

[17]  David Maddison,et al.  Climate change and international tourism: a simulation study , 2005 .

[18]  Arnold Vedlitz,et al.  Personal Efficacy, the Information Environment, and Attitudes Toward Global Warming and Climate Change in the United States , 2008, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[19]  G. Hardin,et al.  The Tragedy of the Commons , 1968, Green Planet Blues.

[20]  A. Kollmuss,et al.  Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? , 2002 .

[21]  Susanne Becken,et al.  Tourism and Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities , 2007 .

[22]  S. Turton,et al.  The impacts of climate change on Australian tourism destinations: developing adaptation and response strategies - a scoping study. , 2009 .

[23]  S. Gössling,et al.  Swedish Tourism and Climate Change Mitigation: An Emerging Conflict? , 2008 .

[24]  Paul Peeters,et al.  Climate Change and Tourism: Responding to Global Challenges. , 2007 .

[25]  Gresham M. Sykes,et al.  Techniques of neutralization: A theory of delinquency. , 1957 .

[26]  W. Winiwarter,et al.  Summary for policy makers , 2011 .

[27]  Adriana Budeanu.  Sustainable Tourist Behaviour a Discussion of Opportunities for Change , 2007 .

[28]  Daniel Scott,et al.  Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Tourism Sector: Frameworks, Tools and Practice , 2008 .

[29]  Roberto Roson,et al.  A General Equilibrium Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Tourism , 2004 .

[30]  Stefano Schiavon,et al.  Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. , 2007 .

[31]  B. Abegg,et al.  Impacts of Climate Change on Winter Tourism in the Swiss Alps , 1997 .

[32]  B. Prideaux.  Resort Destinations: Evolution, Management and Development , 2009 .

[33]  Susanne Becken,et al.  Analysing International Tourist Flows to Estimate Energy Use Associated with Air Travel , 2002 .

[34]  H. Elsasser,et al.  Climate change as a threat to tourism in the Alps , 2002 .

[35]  A. Leiserowitz.  Climate Change Risk Perception and Policy Preferences: The Role of Affect, Imagery, and Values , 2006 .

[36]  O. Hoegh‐Guldberg.  Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world's coral reefs , 1999 .

[37]  D. Meadows-Klue.  The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference , 2004 .

[38]  R. Law,et al.  Air Quality in Hong Kong: A Study of the Perception of International Visitors , 2007 .