Abstract
This paper explores the impact of young travellers’ value orientations on their choice for a wildlife tourism package. On the basis of existing literature, four different packages were designed: one mirroring the traditional offer of wildlife tourism as a hedonic experience; one enhancing the animal welfare aspect and intended to appeal to biospheric values; one enhancing the cultural and community development aspect and intended to appeal to altruistic values; and one combining both cultural and animal welfare aspects. Data were gathered on location in South Africa – one of world’s main wildlife tourism destinations.Results suggest that the altruistic and biospheric value orientations have a strong influence on the choice for a wildlife package tour. Respondents with an above average altruistic value orientation opt for the tour that focuses on community development (third package) or that combines this aspect with animal welfare (fourth package); while respondents with an above average biospheric value orientation are attracted to the fourth package. Overall, the majority of respondents opt for one of the packages that include sustainability components. These outcomes combined with results from previous research bring us to the conclusion that young tourists are open to a sustainable tourism offer in general and wildlife tourism in particular.
Highlights
In a world with limited resources and a growing demand for tourism, it is essential that tourism takes “full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities” (UNEP & UNWTO, 2005, 12)
Youth tourism is a very significant phenomenon: it is a booming market of increasing importance for many countries (Richards, 2008; UNWTO & WYSE Travel Confederation, 2008, 2011; Demeter & Bratucu, 2014), but it constitutes an innovative force pioneering new approaches to tourism that may lead to new choices by the wider society (Fermani, Crocetti, & Carradori, 2011; Martinengo & Savoja, 1993, 1998)—this despite research on the youth tourism experience in general and in relation to sustainable tourism in particular being very limited (Richards, 2008; Cavagnaro & Staffieri, 2014)
In this research young tourists were asked on location to choose one out of four pre-designed packages: one mirroring the traditional offer of wildlife tourism as a hedonic experience; one enhancing the cultural and community development aspect and intended to appeal to altruistic values; one enhancing the animal welfare aspect and intended to appeal to biospheric values; and one combining both cultural and animal welfare aspects and offering a more fully sustainable tourism experience
Summary
In a world with limited resources and a growing demand for tourism, it is essential that tourism takes “full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities” (UNEP & UNWTO, 2005, 12). In this research young tourists were asked on location to choose one out of four pre-designed packages: one mirroring the traditional offer of wildlife tourism as a hedonic experience; one enhancing the cultural and community development aspect and intended to appeal to altruistic values; one enhancing the animal welfare aspect and intended to appeal to biospheric values; and one combining both cultural and animal welfare aspects and offering a more fully sustainable tourism experience. Their answers were interpreted using the value profiles of the respondents to evaluate whether people with a different value orientation opt for a different package. A conclusion ties the whole paper together and provides some reflection on the importance of the results for the industry and for further research
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