Why research on influencing tourist behaviour? ³/RZVXSSRUWIURPFXVWRPHUVLVRQHRIWKHPDLQEDUULHUVIRU SURJUHVVWRZDUGVVXVWDLQDEOHWRXULVP´ School of Tourism & Hospitality Management ³,QGXVWU\VFKHPHVVHHPWRXQGHUHVWLPDWHWKHQHHGIRUVXVWDLQDEOH DFWLRQRQWKHGHPDQGVLGH´ Budeanu, 2007 Using research to foster pro-environmental behaviour The majority of tourists appear to be reluctant to change their behaviour to support sustainability goals. Betty Weiler CREM, 2000; Grankvist, 2002; Yan et al, 2006 1 2 Zoos Heritage Attractions Zoos Victoria Vision: The Sovereign Hill Charter: (website Jan 2011) µTo be the world's leading zoo-EDVHGFRQVHUYDWLRQRUJDQLVDWLRQ¶ µ2XUSXUSRVHDW6RYHUHLJQ+LOODQGWKH*ROG0XVHXPLVWRLQVSLUHDQ understanding of the significance of the central Victorian gold rushes LQ$XVWUDOLD¶VQDWLRQDOVWRU\DQGDW1DUPERRORIWKHLPSRUWDQFHRI Excerpt from Mission: (website Jan 2011) WKHODQGZDWHUDQGELRGLYHUVLW\LQ$XVWUDOLD¶VIXWXUH¶ µ3URYLGLQJLQQRYDWLYHUHFUHDWLRQDQGOHDUQLQJH[SHULHQFHVWKDW inspire visitors to take conservation actions that make a measurable DQGSRVLWLYHGLIIHUHQFH¶ 3 4 Accommodation Providers Tour Operators Jembi-5LQMDK(FR/RGJH¶VPLVVLRQ(website Jan 2011) Intrepid: (website Jan 2011) µ7RPDLQWDLQDXQLTXHWRXULVPDQGHGXFDWLRQDOIDFLOLW\RIIHULQJD tranquil experience whilst ensuring an ecologically sustainable µ,QWUHSLGLVFRPPLWWHGWRWUDYHOOLQJLQDZD\WKDWLVUHVSHFWIXORIORFDO IXWXUHWKURXJKSUDFWLFHVEDVHGRQDµWUHDGVRIWO\OLYHOLJKWO\¶ people, their culture, local economies, and the environment. With SKLORVRSK\¶ your participation, we can help conserve the areas we visit and bring SRVLWLYHEHQHILWVWRKRVWFRPPXQLWLHV¶ µ<RXFDQJLYHVRPHWKLQJEDFNWRWKHZRQGHUIXOSODFHV\RX YH The Great Ocean EcoLodge: (website Jan 2011) WUDYHOOHGWRµ µ%\FRQWULEXWLQJWRRQHRIWKHPDQ\SURMHFWVZHVXSSRUW\RXFDQ µ:HSULGHRXUVHOYHVRQWKHTXDOLW\RIWKHH[SHULHQFHZHVKDUHZLWK make a difference in local communities - in health care, education, our guests and work continuously to raise the bar for responsible human rights, child welfare and in environmental and wildlife WUDYHO¶ protection.¶ 5 6 1 Destinations Protected Area Management Agencies Tourism Tasmania: (website Jan 2011) Parks Victoria: (website Jan 2011) µ7RZRUNLQSDUWQHUVKLSZLWKLQGXVWU\JRYHUQPHQWDQGWKHFRPPXQLW\ µ7KHIROORZLQJZHESDJHVRIIHULQIRUPDWLRQRQKRZWRSURYLGHD to facilitate appropriate and sustainable tourism on and for public rewarding experience that will last in the minds of your visitors long ODQG¶ DIWHUWKH\OHDYH¶ µ6WURQJH[SHULHQFHVFDQSURIRXQGO\LQIOXHQFH\RXUYLVLWRUV ([FHUSWVIURP39¶VWRXULVPUROH Experiences can change the way they view their lives and the world around them. They can have a long-lasting impact on the way your effectively communicating and promoting the role public land areas visitors think and on what they believe. This can even lead to play in tourism. changes in their behaviour, for which some interpretive programs, licensing and working with tour operators to ensure they play a key OLNHWKRVHLQVHQVLWLYHQDWXUDODUHDVDUHDLPLQJ¶ role in ... promoting values and appropriate behaviours .... 7 8 Non-Government Organisations Events The Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology (Jan2011) Bluesfest: (interviews late 2010) µ:HXQGHUVWDQGQRWRQO\WKHLPSRUWDQFHRIFDULQJIRUHFRV\VWHPVEXW DOVRWKHLPSHUDWLYHIRULQVSLULQJDQGHQJDJLQJRWKHUVLQFRQVHUYDWLRQ¶ µ:HVHHWKHLPSRUWDQFHRILQFUHDVLQJSXEOLFDZDUHQHVVRIDOO HQYLURQPHQWDOLVVXHVDQGWROHDGE\GHPRQVWUDWLRQ¶ Two key areas of activity are: 3HDW¶V5LGJH (interviews late 2010) Stewardship: Inviting people to participate in conservation activities and research, and helping them to reconnect with nature. µ$W3HDWV5LGJH)HVWLYDORXUSDVVLRQLVWRPDUU\PXVLFDUWDQG Education and Capacity Building: Raising environmental awareness sustainability to nurture, educate and entertain our audience in and building local capacity for conservation efforts. SXUVXLWRIWUXHVXVWDLQDELOLW\¶ 9 10 INSERT PHOTOS HERE 1. Industry has the goodwill ... to positively impact the understanding, attitudes Text and behaviour of visitors text to manage and promote responsible on-site behaviour and to foster post-visit pro-environmental behaviour 11 12 2 Examples Examples Attitudes On-Site Behaviours Off-Site Behaviours Other Off-Site Behaviours Positive attitude toward Not feeding wildlife Specific to Site Reducing/re-using/recycling at treading softly Staying on the track Participating in a public home Favourability toward Using the shuttlebus meeting Creating wildlife habitats at protection of heritage Keeping dogs on lead Signing petitions home Support for protected Carrying out rubbish Making sustainable purchases area management Lobbying politicians agencies Not removing artefacts Writing letters of support (e.g. recycled TP) Responsible pet ownership Support for wildlife / Not approaching / -RLQLQJD³IULHQGV´JURXS harrassing marine wildlife habitat protection Volunteering at a park or Talking about / encouraging Favourability toward Reducing/re-using/recycling zoo or project others while on-site choosing eco-friendly Sponsoring an animal Making eco-friendly travel and Sustainable purchases (e.g. leisure choices travel products / options Donating money Beads, Snare-ware) Industry has the will, but does it have the Results of GCF for Galapagos Islands ways and means ... Over $1 million raised since 1997 to positively impact the understanding, attitudes Eradication of feral pigs on the and behaviour of visitors? island of Santiago Re-establishment of native plant species to influence and foster responsible on-site Support for national parks behaviour? and patrolling efforts Establishment of local to foster post-visit pro-environmental behaviour? environmental education program including local university scholarship program http://www.solutions-site.org/cat1_sol116.htm 15 16 Environmental Schemes that include Quality Assurance and Best Practice Initiatives Managing and Influencing Visitor Behaviour Awards of excellence Codes of conduct Eco Certification Program (formerly NEAP) Accreditation and certification Monitoring and evaluation www.ecotourism.org.au/eco_certification.asp Black and Crabtree, 2007: 10 Licensing Training Eco Guide Certification Program Professional associations Black and Weiler, 2005 www.ecotourism.org.au/ecoguide.asp 18 3 2. Industry does not do or use research to impact visitor attitudes and behaviour It is largely ineffective at impacting the understanding, attitudes and behaviour of visitors It under-utilises research-led communication as a tool to manage and foster pro-environmental behaviour and It lacks an appreciation for the need for research to inform post-visit pro-environmental behaviour 19 20 Industry + Research Behaviour Research in a Tourism Context 1. Research has evaluated and often demonstrated the failure of management and communication initiatives to succeed at impacting attitudes and behaviours 2. Research has assessed the effectiveness of codes of practice, training programs, accreditation/certification schemes in optimising pro-environmental outcomes 3. Research has teased out issues and relationships between visitor management practices (including tourist communication) and attitudinal/behavioural outcomes 21 22 Behaviour Research in a Tourism Context Behaviour Research in a Tourism Context 4. Recently, research has demonstrated some degree of attitude and behavioural outcomes ± usually these have been on-site 23 24 4 Examples of communication interventions that have successfully impacted on-site Other successful communication interventions: beliefs, attitude and behaviour Appealing to normative beliefs (setting a good example) By targeting the non-complier belief that walking off the resulted in a 20% increase in visitors who picked up track leads to getting better views and photos, the RWKHUSHRSOH¶VUXEELVKDW5XVVHOO)DOOV1DWLRQDO3DUN intervention converted 70% of Port Campbell NP visitors from intending to walk off the track to intending to stay on the track Appealing to normative beliefs (less of a nuisance and other dog owners would approve) resulted in a 19% increase in owners keeping their dogs on the lead at By targeting the belief that taking the shuttle bus would Yellagonga Regional Park improve the flexibility of the experience, the intervention convinced 54% of Cradle Mountain visitors who intended to drive their car to decide to take the shuttle bus instead Multiple layers of interpretation resulted in improved attitudes (positive attitude toward nature conservation) at :HUULEHH=RR¶V/LRQVRQWKH(GJHH[KLELW 25 26 3. Tourism research is still falling short of ... What is needed? effectively demonstrating the success and failures of Scholars have a role to play experimental interventions aimed at impacting the Review and critique theory understanding, attitudes and behaviour of visitors, especially off-site and long-term impacts Empirical researchers have a role to play Apply theory and adapt methods to a tourism context identifying variables (content of messages and communication media) that explain success and failure Extend theory and look for anomalies in tourism context being able to impact and measure the impact of long- Industry has a role to play term (post-visit) behaviour Facilitate experimental research including not just observation, but contributing to planned interventions 27 28 Testing what works best: An example from a hospitality context But what works best? Please consider the environment. Hang up your We are committed to Most guests at this hotel Many of our visitors are towel so we know not to eco-friendly practice.