Consumers Attitudes and Behaviour towards Responsible Tourism - Literature review Example

?Consumer's attitudes and behaviour towards responsible tourism Responsible tourism allows the consumer to combine their attitudes towards the environment and sustainable culture and their holiday. This has become a growing trend in recent years, due in part to the growing conscientiousness regarding the environment and in part to the increasing amount of disposable income in the concerned classes (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2003). These factors make it interesting to study the attitudes and behaviours of consumers who are indulging in this growing market, and to see how their world is defined within this sphere. The purpose of this essay is to explore the characteristics of a responsible tourist, and to investigate their opinions of the market. An analysis will also be conducted into the opinions of tourism consumers in general to understand how the market has grown and is in a continual state of flux. The final section will cover how the market could be improved by identifying problems with the current responsible tourism market. This will help to paint a rich picture of how the consumer regards responsible tourism to allow providers to better understand their market and their customer. The Characteristics of a Responsible Tourist As responsible tourism encompasses a wide-range of tourist destinations beyond what is commonly perceived as eco-tourism, there are a wide variety of characteristics that can be said to be common to the responsible tourist. A responsible tourist will have to have some awareness of the sustainable nature of their holiday, whether that be on an economic or environmental level (Andereck, 2009). Recent studies have shown that 77% of consumers believe that tourism should have some focus on the environmental level (Miller, 2003), meaning that the majority of tourists could be classified in this way. However, it should be stressed that this figure represents the intentions of the consumer rather than their actions, and there is a conceivable difference between the two (Miller, 2003). Those who have intentions of being a responsible tourist can, therefore, be said to represent the majority of the tourism industry but it is perhaps easier to classify the characteristics of the actual responsible tourist. These individuals are generally those who are ethical consumers in other areas of their life, with a great focus on the environmental impact of their purchases (Andereck, 2009). These people tend to be young adults with a significant amount of disposable income, with those interested being happier to spend more money to receive a socially responsible product (Miller, 2003). These individuals are generally more likely to be concerned with a number of factors that can be affected by tourism, and seek a ‘guilt-free’ holiday (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2003). Many of these individuals have, or wish to, partake in a holiday in which they can get directly involved in the responsible tourism, rather than simply choosing hotels or airlines that behave responsibly (Pizan & Mansfeld, 2000). This can involve getting involved in projects in the third-world, or tree-planting initiatives. Perceptions and Attitudes of the Consumer towards Responsible Tourism The perceptions and attitudes of the consumer have changed in recent years from being considered an unnecessary expense to something worth spending money on (Reisinger & Turner, 2003). The perceptions of this type of tourism are now generally positive, with many consumers considering the impact of their tourism on the place that they stay and the environment in general (Miller et al, 2010). Many people now have concerns about consumerism, and the tourism industry is wise to offer this option as a solution. It should be noted that some still consider that responsible tourism has not come far enough, with optional extras such as postcards and food purchases not being as extensively covered by the notion of responsible tourism as other areas (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2003). Others suggest that responsible tourism is not doing enough to cover the problems of tourism, but overall the perceptions of responsible tourism are favourable and increasingly so. The motivations of the customer vary. The most important aspect of responsible tourism is that it represents part of the whole move towards ‘ethically traded products and increasing pressure across most sectors for evidence of corporate social responsibility’ (Harold & Francis, 2003, p272). Those who are likely to purchase ethical goods in other areas are likely to seek a sustainable, responsible alternative to the typical family holiday. It has been suggested that sustainable tourism is part of a lifestyle marketing ploy to encourage users to purchase things that represent what they would like to be, rather than being a product of the holiday itself. A consumer would feel a sense of self-righteousness and accomplishment from a sustainable holiday that would not come with a standard package (Pizan & Mansfeld, 2000). Another motivation for the consumer is that this type of tourism can offer a type of escapism through activities that wouldn’t be available to them otherwise. Harold & Francis (2003) suggest that previously holidays had been tailored towards physical satisfaction, but are now geared towards an emotional, social satisfaction which comes from interacting with the local environment on a much larger scale than would be typical of a holiday. Again, the new ‘critical consumer’ (p273) comes into this movement, leading the way into different types of behaviours both at home and abroad, which makes responsible tourism both an escapism and a distinct appropriation to life at home. It is a complex mix of motivations and lifestyles, which come from the changing attitudes towards consumerism. Motivation for the consumer also comes from the desire to see more of the world. With increasing globalization, it is not uncommon to see many of the same shops abroad, with chains such as Tesco and Walmart becoming international (Miller et al, 2010). Many of the typical tourist attractions are very similar between destinations, with guided tours being frequent although the landmarks change (Reisinger & Turner, 2003). Tourists are also offered escapism, and frequently do not need to leave the hotel complex to gain all their needs. All of this has led to a desire for the tourist to experience the ‘real lives’ of the people that live in these areas. This has the added benefit of making tourists aware of the lives that are being lived in these areas, by making them see the lifestyles that are so different from their own. This type of tourism also encourages people to go outside their hotel and trade directly with the local people, which is of a huge benefit to the local economy and ensures a fairer price for the residents (Harold & Francis, 2003). Changes in Consumer Behaviour Regarding Responsible Tourism It should be noted that the attitudes and behaviours towards responsible tourism are continually changing as it is an important emerging market (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2003). It is interesting to examine these recent changes; for example, the percentage of consumers willing to pay extra for a sustainable holiday went up by 7% to 52% in just the two years between 1999 and 2001 (Goodwin & Francis, 2003). This represents a growing trend in markets overall, with supermarkets reporting a 125-fold increase in responsible product sales between 1995 and 2000 (Miller, 2003). The attitudes are linked because holidays and tourism are an extension of buying habits as a whole, rather than being isolated in their purchase (Miller, 2003). The growth of the market as a whole, and the resultant explosion in responsible tourism, can be attributed to a growing amount of concern for the numbers of people in poverty, the impending threat of global warming and the increasing awareness of these issues through globalization (Pizan & Mansfeld, 2000). Gaps in the Responsible Tourism Market Although responsible tourism is on the rise, there are a number of gaps in the market that need to be filled to promote it to more people and to ensure that it reaches the maximum amount of people. As previously mentioned, the majority of individuals searching for a holiday are interested in the responsibility of the travel company, but far less actually act upon this and choose a sustainable holiday. This means that there is definite room for improvement in the responsible tourism market, and these gaps can be identified to help improve sales and growth in the area. Perhaps one of the most obvious gaps in the responsible tourism market concerns catering. Some of the literature has identified that often catering is not as responsible as the rest of the holiday, and many responsible tourist destinations do not stress the importance of sustainable foodstuffs (Reisinger & Turner, 2003). Catering is, however, one of the most important aspects of the tourist industry and perhaps improvement in this area would help to give the responsible tourism market the boost it needs to be truly successful (Pizan & Mansfeld, 2000). Ideas for this include direct trading with local restaurants and food providers to allow the consumer to get more involved in the community and directly help the businesses themselves (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2003). Another gap in the responsible tourism market perhaps concerns budget holidays. With many people struggling due to the economic recession, many are seeking holidays within their own country or spending less on holidays abroad (Reisinger & Turner, 2003). This means that the responsible tourism needs to follow this pattern in the market. The problem with this is that responsible tourism, by its very nature, tends to be slightly more costly in order to fulfil its duty as a sustainable brand. However, there are often instances when trading directly with the local businesses can be cheaper, so this is an area which could be looked into to improve growth in responsible sustainable tourism. Conclusions There are a number of conclusions that can be drawn from the above analysis. The first major one is that the responsible tourism industry is on the rise, and people appreciate the efforts that travel companies put into providing these options. What is less clear is why these people are not necessarily likely to buy a responsible holiday, despite stating a desire for one and a willingness to pay more. There are a number of gaps that have been identified in this study, primarily the lack of budget options, which can make responsible tourism unlikely to appeal to the tourist market as a whole. However, it is clear that the market is expanding and there are ways to target these problems, and attempting to aim holidays at a wider range beyond the identified standard tourist with the characteristics of a responsible tourist. Evidently, this is an interesting area which will be exciting to watch unfold and develop as the years come, particularly as new options become available in the market. References Andereck, K.L., 2009. Tourists’ perceptions of environmentally responsible innovations at tourism businesses. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 17, 489–499. Goodwin, H., Francis, J., 2003. Ethical and Responsible Tourism: Consumer Trends in the UK. Journal of Vacation Marketing 9, 271–284. Miller, G., Rathouse, K., Scarles, C., Holmes, K., Tribe, J., 2010. Public understanding of sustainable tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 37, 627–645. Miller, G.A., 2003. Consumerism in sustainable tourism: A survey of UK consumers. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 11, 17–39. Pizam, A., Mansfeld, Y., 1999. Consumer behavior in travel and tourism. Routledge. Reisinger, Y., Turner, L.W., 2003. Cross-Cultural Behaviour in Tourism: Concepts and Analysis. Elsevier. Swarbrooke, J., Horner, S., 2007. Consumer Behaviour in Tourism. Butterworth-Heinemann. Read More