Reducing the Australian tourism industry's vulnerability to external shocks: identifying and understanding disaster-resilient tourists. The tourism industry is vulnerable to external shocks, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Global Financial Crisis, all of which led to immediate and substantial drops in tourism demand of between 4 per cent and 55 per cent. This project investigates a new way of reducing this vulnerability well in advance of disa ....Reducing the Australian tourism industry's vulnerability to external shocks: identifying and understanding disaster-resilient tourists. The tourism industry is vulnerable to external shocks, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Global Financial Crisis, all of which led to immediate and substantial drops in tourism demand of between 4 per cent and 55 per cent. This project investigates a new way of reducing this vulnerability well in advance of disasters occurring: targeting the segment of disaster-resilient tourists.Read moreRead less
Better destination image data through lower cognitive load measures. This project will develop survey question formats which require less cognitive effort from respondents, leading to: (1) better market insight and improved business strategies for the tourism industry; (2) better tourism consumer behaviour theories; and (3) the collection of higher quality image data by market researchers for their clients.
Triggering pro-environmental behaviour in pleasure-seeking contexts. This project aims to trigger environmentally friendly behaviours in tourists rather than relying on government or industry action. Using field experiments, the effectiveness of newly developed theory-based measures to reduce plate waste at hotel buffets will be tested. Given one billion tourists travel each year, the expected outcomes from this project can inform measures to substantially improve the sustainability of tourism ....Triggering pro-environmental behaviour in pleasure-seeking contexts. This project aims to trigger environmentally friendly behaviours in tourists rather than relying on government or industry action. Using field experiments, the effectiveness of newly developed theory-based measures to reduce plate waste at hotel buffets will be tested. Given one billion tourists travel each year, the expected outcomes from this project can inform measures to substantially improve the sustainability of tourism globally, regionally and locally.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL190100143
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,200,000.00
Summary
Making a sustainable tourist. This Fellowship will develop and validate a new theory that explains, predicts, and elicits pro-environmental conduct in pleasure-focused settings like tourism. It is significant in challenging the assumption of conventional theories about universal drivers of human behaviour, asserting instead that increased pleasure or changed infrastructure are needed to boost pro-environmental actions in hedonic contexts. The outcome and benefits will be in effective, evidenced- ....Making a sustainable tourist. This Fellowship will develop and validate a new theory that explains, predicts, and elicits pro-environmental conduct in pleasure-focused settings like tourism. It is significant in challenging the assumption of conventional theories about universal drivers of human behaviour, asserting instead that increased pleasure or changed infrastructure are needed to boost pro-environmental actions in hedonic contexts. The outcome and benefits will be in effective, evidenced-based social interventions that reduce the huge environmental burden of tourism and other pleasure-focused industries. Such interventions are urgently needed to manage the impacts arising from the extraordinary growth in sectors critical to the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Reducing plate waste in hotels - which interventions are most effective? This project aims to quantify the comparative effectiveness of belief-based and choice-architecture-based interventions in reducing food waste generated by tourists at hotel buffets. Expected outcomes include: new insights into effective triggers of pro-environmental tourist behaviour; the first empirical data on carbon emissions caused by plate waste in tourism; an automatic plate waste measurement system and benchmarking ....Reducing plate waste in hotels - which interventions are most effective? This project aims to quantify the comparative effectiveness of belief-based and choice-architecture-based interventions in reducing food waste generated by tourists at hotel buffets. Expected outcomes include: new insights into effective triggers of pro-environmental tourist behaviour; the first empirical data on carbon emissions caused by plate waste in tourism; an automatic plate waste measurement system and benchmarking app for monitoring and comparison; and effective practical measures to reduce avoidable food leftovers generated by tourists. This should provide significant benefits by: lowering food cost for the struggling tourism industry, reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to Australia’s aim of halving food waste by 2030.Read moreRead less
Persuading tourists to use fewer natural resources when on holidays. This project aims to bring sustainable reductions in resource use to mainstream tourism, one of the world’s largest, most resource-intensive sectors. The project challenges the view that pro-environmental attitudes are a pre-requisite for pro-environmental behaviours, and in doing so promotes redesigning social practices in accommodation to achieve greater sustainability outcomes. Using an experimental design, this project will ....Persuading tourists to use fewer natural resources when on holidays. This project aims to bring sustainable reductions in resource use to mainstream tourism, one of the world’s largest, most resource-intensive sectors. The project challenges the view that pro-environmental attitudes are a pre-requisite for pro-environmental behaviours, and in doing so promotes redesigning social practices in accommodation to achieve greater sustainability outcomes. Using an experimental design, this project will provide empirical evidence on the efficacy of combining smart technology and interpersonal communication into a smart-service intervention to change guest resource use. The desired outcomes will be less resource consumption, greater guest satisfaction, and an evidence-based approach to a greener mainstream economy.Read moreRead less
Developing a transformative tourism model for the South Pacific. In a South Pacific context, this project aims to develop and disseminate a model of tourism that balances economic, social and environmental objectives. In so doing, this project expects to create new knowledge in tourism and sustainable development, while advancing methods of research applicable to diverse stakeholders and settings. Expected outcomes include an enduring community of practice, and a suite of tools, guides and polic ....Developing a transformative tourism model for the South Pacific. In a South Pacific context, this project aims to develop and disseminate a model of tourism that balances economic, social and environmental objectives. In so doing, this project expects to create new knowledge in tourism and sustainable development, while advancing methods of research applicable to diverse stakeholders and settings. Expected outcomes include an enduring community of practice, and a suite of tools, guides and policy briefs for those seeking to promote tourism that enables genuine sustainable development. In addition to improving outcomes for people and places in a region where tourism is a vital industry, this project should support Australia’s engagement with the Pacific, while promoting peace and prosperity in the region.Read moreRead less
Reducing global tourism carbon emissions . With over 6 billion vacation trips annually, tourism is a major and fast-growing contributor to climate change. To support a climate-centred tourism policy, this Project aims to construct a world’s first global database that answers three key questions: 1) if tourism carbon footprint increases in direct proportion to its consumption, 2) how quickly tourism can decarbonise emissions, and 3) can tourism deliver better carbon performance than other sectors ....Reducing global tourism carbon emissions . With over 6 billion vacation trips annually, tourism is a major and fast-growing contributor to climate change. To support a climate-centred tourism policy, this Project aims to construct a world’s first global database that answers three key questions: 1) if tourism carbon footprint increases in direct proportion to its consumption, 2) how quickly tourism can decarbonise emissions, and 3) can tourism deliver better carbon performance than other sectors? The outcomes include new theoretical and empirical knowledge about the impacts, drivers, and trade-offs of tourism's carbon emissions. A significant benefit of this Project is to identify mitigation policies that can better balance tourism economic yield and emissions stabilisation.Read moreRead less
Encouraging voluntary purchasing of carbon offsets. Climate change is one of the most critical challenges societies collectively face today and in the future. Voluntary carbon offsetting offers a solution that avoids politically costly mandatory offset schemes. Yet, currently very few people purchase carbon offsets voluntarily; fewer than 10% of air travellers, for example. There is significant untapped growth potential. This project will (1) profile consumers interested in voluntarily purchasin ....Encouraging voluntary purchasing of carbon offsets. Climate change is one of the most critical challenges societies collectively face today and in the future. Voluntary carbon offsetting offers a solution that avoids politically costly mandatory offset schemes. Yet, currently very few people purchase carbon offsets voluntarily; fewer than 10% of air travellers, for example. There is significant untapped growth potential. This project will (1) profile consumers interested in voluntarily purchasing carbon offsets, (2) identify motivational sub-segments among them, and (3) develop and experimentally test carbon offset offers for domestic flights targeted at these segments. Findings will generalise beyond carbon offsetting for air traffic.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100385
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$366,000.00
Summary
Cyberactivism, tourism and trophy hunting ethics 2.0. This project aims to analyse the effectiveness of anti-trophy hunting cyberactivism at hunting destinations. After the 2015 shooting of Cecil the Zimbabwean lion, trophy hunting tourism and its ethical ambiguities re-entered the public consciousness globally. Australian tourists have been implicated in the controversial practice, and Australia has recently had to reconsider its laws in this respect. At the same time, cyberactivist movements i ....Cyberactivism, tourism and trophy hunting ethics 2.0. This project aims to analyse the effectiveness of anti-trophy hunting cyberactivism at hunting destinations. After the 2015 shooting of Cecil the Zimbabwean lion, trophy hunting tourism and its ethical ambiguities re-entered the public consciousness globally. Australian tourists have been implicated in the controversial practice, and Australia has recently had to reconsider its laws in this respect. At the same time, cyberactivist movements in social media have taken a stance against trophy hunting. This project aims to improve the effectiveness of cyberactivism to protect endangered species in trophy hunting destinations, particularly Southern Africa, and to guide Australian policy frameworks.Read moreRead less