Measurement of Tourism-Related CO 2 Emission and the Factors Influencing Low-Carbon Behavior of Tourists: Evidence from Protected Areas in China

Jing Wu, Shen Wang, Yuling Liu, Xuesong Xie, Siyi Wang, Lianhong Lv () and Hong Luo
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Jing Wu: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Shen Wang: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Yuling Liu: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Xuesong Xie: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Siyi Wang: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Lianhong Lv: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Hong Luo: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: In the fight against climate change, future policy directions in the transition toward a green travel- and tourism-based economy include improving tourism-derived CO 2 emission levels and guiding individual low-carbon behavior. In China, people tend to engage in outdoor adventure travel and cultural tourism in natural areas. However, limited information is available on the empirical evaluation of energy use and the CO 2 emissions associated with tourism in protected areas. The present study used a life cycle assessment to explore energy use and CO 2 emissions due to tourism and identify the factors driving low-carbon behavior. To these ends, survey data for the protected areas of the Qinling Mountains from 2014 to 2019 were used. The results showed that energy use and CO 2 emissions in various tourism sectors steadily increased from 2014 to 2019, primarily because of an increase in transportation activity. This study used data derived from the calculation of CO 2 emissions per tourist per trip to identify the various factors jointly contributing to the low-carbon behavior of tourists. These included a low-carbon attitude, low-carbon knowledge, environmental education, and policy reward. The broader implications of this study are that several emission reduction policy options are available to address the challenges inherent in sustainable tourism development and that these policies may be selected according to specific conditions. The low-carbon transformation of recreational facilities at travel destinations, policy rewards, and environmental education can regulate tourist behavior, holding the key to sustainable tourism development in protected areas.

Keywords: carbon dioxide emissions; tourist behavior; Qinling Mountains; life cycle assessment approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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