Are sport tourists of an environmental mindset to drive the green? The case of golfers

Abstract

This study makes several unique contributions to the fields of environmental psychology, sport tourism and environmental management programmes. Firstly, it evaluates golfers' environmental worldviews using the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) attitudinal-measurement scale. Data were drawn from a meta-analysis and survey (n>275) in Wales, UK. Secondly, the five-step Transtheoretical model of change is applied to the average NEP score to develop a tipping point. Thirdly, the study transforms average NEP scores into a percentage and links them to a behavioural willingness to change value (70%). Interestingly, the study yielded a golfers' NEP score of 58% that did not vary with demographics. The methodology is also applied to 32 similar studies to generate NEP percentages and compare them against the NEP percentage score of willingness to change. Finally, the golfers' NEP percentage value is visually presented on a behaviour change thermostat as a simple means to engage stakeholders' discussion on this topic.