IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v9y2017i6p1056-d101856.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fostering Sustainable Travel Behavior: Role of Sustainability Labels and Goal-Directed Behavior Regarding Touristic Services

Author

Listed:
  • Elfriede Penz

    (Department of Marketing, Institute for International Marketing Management, Vienna University of Business and Economics, Vienna 1020, Austria)

  • Eva Hofmann

    (Centre for Peace, Trust and Social Relations, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK,
    Competence Center for Empirical Research Methods, Vienna University of Business and Economics, Vienna 1020, Austria)

  • Barbara Hartl

    (Competence Center for Empirical Research Methods, Vienna University of Business and Economics, Vienna 1020, Austria
    Institute of Organization and Global Management Education, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz 4040, Austria, barbara.hartl_1@jku.at)

Abstract

Individuals around the globe engage in sustainable consumption in their everyday life, e.g., when it comes to individual transportation. Although tourism behavior contributes to global carbon emissions to a considerable extent, consumers’ awareness of sustainability in the tourism industry is still underresearched. Placing eco-labels next to tourist offers on websites might direct consumer’s perception towards more sustainable offers. By employing eye-tracking techniques and surveys, this research aimed at linking information about sustainable tourist offers, perception of eco-labels and subsequent perception and preferences of tourism services. In Study 1, eight existing hotel offers with sustainability certification (four different labels) were selected and their websites presented to 48 participants (four websites each), whose eye movements were tracked. After looking at each website, they rated the overall appearance of the website. Based on the results, in the second study, participants’ (n = 642) awareness of labels, their values and attitudes regarding sustainable behavior were found to influence their preference for certified tour operators. In addition, individuals’ ideas of their perfect holidays were captured to allow a better understanding of their motivation. This research proposes implementing appropriate sustainable labeling in the tourism industry to increase awareness about sustainability among travelers and subsequently increase sustainable travel behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Elfriede Penz & Eva Hofmann & Barbara Hartl, 2017. "Fostering Sustainable Travel Behavior: Role of Sustainability Labels and Goal-Directed Behavior Regarding Touristic Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:6:p:1056-:d:101856
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/6/1056/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/6/1056/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Graham, Dan J. & Orquin, Jacob L. & Visschers, Vivianne H.M., 2012. "Eye tracking and nutrition label use: A review of the literature and recommendations for label enhancement," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 378-382.
    2. Alexis Gutierrez & Thomas F. Thornton, 2014. "Can Consumers Understand Sustainability through Seafood Eco-Labels? A U.S. and UK Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(11), pages 1-23, November.
    3. Thøgersen, John & Noblet, Caroline, 2012. "Does green consumerism increase the acceptance of wind power?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 854-862.
    4. Biel, Anders & Thogersen, John, 2007. "Activation of social norms in social dilemmas: A review of the evidence and reflections on the implications for environmental behaviour," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 93-112, January.
    5. Rouven Doran & Daniel Hanss & Torvald Øgaard, 2017. "Can Social Comparison Feedback Affect Indicators of Eco-Friendly Travel Choices? Insights from Two Online Experiments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, January.
    6. Malin Jonell & Beatrice Crona & Kelsey Brown & Patrik Rönnbäck & Max Troell, 2016. "Eco-Labeled Seafood: Determinants for (Blue) Green Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Shepherd, Dean A. & Kuskova, Valya & Patzelt, Holger, 2009. "Measuring the values that underlie sustainable development: The development of a valid scale," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 246-256, April.
    8. Rudolf Sinkovics & Elfriede Penz, 2005. "Empowerment of SME websites—Development of a web-empowerment scale and preliminary evidence," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 303-315, December.
    9. Banerjee, Abhijit & Solomon, Barry D., 2003. "Eco-labeling for energy efficiency and sustainability: a meta-evaluation of US programs," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 109-123, January.
    10. Federica Buffa, 2015. "Young Tourists and Sustainability. Profiles, Attitudes, and Implications for Destination Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-21, October.
    11. Khan Md Raziuddin Taufique & Chamhuri Siwar & Basri Talib & Farah Hasan Sarah & Norshamliza Chamhuri, 2014. "Synthesis of Constructs for Modeling Consumers’ Understanding and Perception of Eco-Labels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-25, April.
    12. Hares, Andrew & Dickinson, Janet & Wilkes, Keith, 2010. "Climate change and the air travel decisions of UK tourists," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 466-473.
    13. Camilla C. Erskine & Lyndhurst Collins, 1997. "Eco-labelling: success or failure?," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 125-133, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stephan Grapentin & Maureen Ayikoru, 2019. "Destination Assessment and Certification: Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-24, July.
    2. Ana Lanero & José-Luis Vázquez & César Sahelices-Pinto, 2020. "Heuristic Thinking and Credibility of Organic Advertising Claims: The Role of Knowledge and Motivations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Gerrit Antonides, 2017. "Sustainable Consumer Behaviour: A Collection of Empirical Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-5, September.
    4. Yu-Ling Hsieh & Ming-Feng Lee & Guey-Shya Chen & Wei-Jie Wang, 2022. "Application of Visitor Eye Movement Information to Museum Exhibit Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Lucília Cardoso & Carla Fraga, 2024. "Shaping the Future of Destinations: New Clues to Smart Tourism Research from a Neuroscience Methods Approach," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, May.
    6. Chu feng Yu & Yong Ma & Jie Ren, 2021. "Mapping the Landscape and Evolution of Research on Pro-Environmental Behavior of Tourists," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    7. Ali Keyvanfar & Arezou Shafaghat & Nasiru Zakari Muhammad & M. Salim Ferwati, 2018. "Driving Behaviour and Sustainable Mobility—Policies and Approaches Revisited," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-27, April.
    8. Ana Težak Damijanić & Marija Pičuljan & Smiljana Goreta Ban, 2023. "The Role of Pro-Environmental Behavior, Environmental Knowledge, and Eco-Labeling Perception in Relation to Travel Intention in the Hotel Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Yu-Bing Wang & Ching-Wei Ho, 2017. "No Money? No Problem! The Value of Sustainability: Social Capital Drives the Relationship among Customer Identification and Citizenship Behavior in Sharing Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-17, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alexander J. Stein & Marcelo Lima, 2022. "Sustainable food labelling: considerations for policy-makers," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 103(2), pages 143-160, June.
    2. Mónica Pérez-Ramírez & Marco A. Almendarez-Hernández & Gerzaín Avilés-Polanco & Luis F. Beltrán-Morales, 2015. "Consumer Acceptance of Eco-Labeled Fish: A Mexican Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-18, April.
    3. Baumeister, Stefan & Zeng, Cheng & Hoffendahl, Alex, 2022. "The effect of an eco-label on the booking decisions of air passengers," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 175-182.
    4. Sergio Vitale & Federica Biondo & Cristina Giosuè & Gioacchino Bono & Charles Odilichukwu R. Okpala & Ignazio Piazza & Mario Sprovieri & Vito Pipitone, 2020. "Consumers’ Perception and Willingness to Pay for Eco-Labeled Seafood in Italian Hypermarkets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-13, February.
    5. Tatjana Mamula Nikolić & Sanja Popović Pantić & Ivan Paunović & Sanja Filipović, 2021. "Sustainable Travel Decision-Making of Europeans: Insights from a Household Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    6. Yao Song & Zhenzhen Qin & Qi Yuan, 2019. "The Impact of Eco-Label on the Young Chinese Generation: The Mediation Role of Environmental Awareness and Product Attributes in Green Purchase," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Seppo Junnila & Juudit Ottelin & Laura Leinikka, 2018. "Influence of Reduced Ownership on the Environmental Benefits of the Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, November.
    8. Maria Andersson & Ola Eriksson & Chris Von Borgstede, 2012. "The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
    9. Filimonau, Viachaslau & Högström, Michaela, 2017. "The attitudes of UK tourists to the use of biofuels in civil aviation: An exploratory study," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 84-94.
    10. Orquin, Jacob L. & Bagger, Martin P. & Lahm, Erik S. & Grunert, Klaus G. & Scholderer, Joachim, 2020. "The visual ecology of product packaging and its effects on consumer attention," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 187-195.
    11. Marie-Laure Cabon-Dhersin & Nathalie Etchart-Vincent, 2013. "Wording and gender effects in a Game of Chicken. An explorative experimental study," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00796708, HAL.
    12. Corey Angst, 2009. "Protect My Privacy or Support the Common-Good? Ethical Questions About Electronic Health Information Exchanges," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 169-178, November.
    13. Pieper, Nadine & Woisetschläger, David M., 2024. "Customer misbehavior in access-based mobility services: An examination of prevention strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    14. Cristiano Codagnone & Giuseppe Alessandro Veltri & Francesco Bogliacino & Francisco Lupiáñez-Villanueva & George Gaskell & Andriy Ivchenko & Pietro Ortoleva & Francesco Mureddu, 2016. "Labels as nudges? An experimental study of car eco-labels," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 33(3), pages 403-432, December.
    15. Andrea Amado & Koji Kotani & Makoto Kakinaka & Shunsuke Managi, 2023. "Carbon tax for cleaner-energy transition: A vignette experiment in Japan," Working Papers SDES-2023-6, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Oct 2023.
    16. Gholam Reza Zandi & Nadeem Khalid & Dewan Md. Zahurul Islam, 2019. "Nexus of Knowledge Transfer, Green Innovation and Environmental Performance: Impact of Environmental Management Accounting," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(5), pages 387-393.
    17. Lars E. Olsson & Jana Huck & Margareta Friman, 2018. "Intention for Car Use Reduction: Applying a Stage-Based Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-14, January.
    18. Shiwei Shen & Marios Sotiriadis & Qing Zhou, 2020. "Could Smart Tourists Be Sustainable and Responsible as Well? The Contribution of Social Networking Sites to Improving Their Sustainable and Responsible Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, February.
    19. Caserta, Maurizio & Distefano, Rosaria & Ferrante, Livio, 2022. "The Good of Rules: An experimental study on prosocial behavior," EconStor Preprints 266393, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    20. Cheung, Millissa F.Y. & To, W.M., 2019. "An extended model of value-attitude-behavior to explain Chinese consumers’ green purchase behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 145-153.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:6:p:1056-:d:101856. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.