I teach Sustainable Tourism on degree and masters programmes at Universities in France and Germany and get my students to reflect upon the role of sustainability in their daily life and also in personal tourism choices.
Their self behavioural analysis strongly suggests an awareness of and significant active involvement in sustainable energy use, consumption and daily transport, but (and it is a BIG ‘but’) when it comes to their own decision-making regarding holiday options, they readily admit that with very few exceptions (and somewhat to their own surprise) sustainability just does not come into their thinking AT ALL. It is not that they actively ‘downplay’ it – it simply doesn’t automatically factor in. Holidays seem to flick an ‘off-switch’ to normal life considerations.
Their response to this realisation is to suggest that unless they are offered ONLY sustainable brochure choices and /or influenced by (high) price signals emanating from non-sustainable options, then they are not likely to moderate their present incongruous, non-sustainable tourism consumption activity.
This from a group of young adults who are generally more ‘sustainable’ in their daily lives than their parents’ generation, Tourism-savvy and in Higher Education.
Just giving Tourists a ‘sustainable alternative’ will not fit their ‘bill’ – the industry and government will have to do far more: perhaps more ‘stick’ than ‘carrot’.
Tony Jolley.
