Sustainable Tourism: The Elephant in the Room

Thomas Bausch, Tilman Schröder, Verena Tauber and Bernard Lane
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Thomas Bausch: Competence Centre Tourism and Mobility, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, 39031 Brunico, Italy
Tilman Schröder: Department of Tourism, Munich University of Applied Sciences, 80539 Munich, Germany
Verena Tauber: Competence Centre Tourism and Mobility, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, 39031 Brunico, Italy
Bernard Lane: EURAC Research, Centre for Advanced Studies, 39100 Bolzano, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: Research on sustainability and sustainable tourism has thus far avoided evaluating how tourists actually understand these terms. Instead, scholars have focused on the supply side, presuming a common and precise understanding of sustainability and sustainable tourism among all tourists and stakeholders. This study shows that most consumers link sustainability only to environmental issues, and understand sustainability differently from sustainable tourism. It finds significant interpersonal and intercultural differences regarding consumers’ conceptualisations of sustainability. The results illustrate that empirical research methodology for conceptualising consumers’ sustainability understanding frequently is doubtful or weak. This research exposes tourists’ limited understanding of sustainability, and helps tackle widespread scepticism about the effectiveness of sustainable tourism, by creating better informed sustainable tourism marketing.

Keywords: sustainable tourism; sustainability perceptions; responsible consumption; cross-cultural differences; symbolic representation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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