Pro-environmental Behaviors at Home and During a Tourism Trip: A Generational Perspective

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is an increasing concern in the present era, particularly in the tourism field, which is known as an industry with severe environmental impacts. Thus, raising awareness concerning the importance of adopting pro-environmental behaviors is mandatory to achieve truly sustainable development of the tourism sector. This study aims to analyze the gap between pro-environmental behaviors at home and during a tourism trip among visitors from distinct generational groups. Data was gathered from a questionnaire survey applied to 763 tourists visiting the Central Region of Portugal. Older generations were found to behave in a more environmentally friendly way when compared to younger ones in both contexts. Additionally, people tend to decrease their pro-environmental behaviors when moving from a home-based setting to a tourism destination one, independently of their age group. The results might constitute an opportunity for tourism managers to stay proactive in the quest for a more sustainable approach to tourism development models and to develop effective marketing strategies according to the pro-environmental profile of each segment.