The Impact of Low-Carbon Service Operations on Responsible Tourist Behavior: The Psychological Processes of Sustainable Cultural Tourism

Shu-Hsien Chang,R J Hernández-Díaz,Wei-Shuo Lo

doi:10.3390/su12124943

Shu-Hsien Chang, R J Hernández-Díaz + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124943

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Abstract

This paper explores the impact of low-carbon service operations on responsible tourist behavior within sustainable cultural tourism. A proposed conceptual framework is used to examine this largely ignored situation through the case study of Xiao Liuqiu Island. The small island in Taiwan reveals a previously understudied phenomenon in sustainable island tourism. The psychological processes connecting cultural and cross-cultural experiences with sustainable tourism are explored using primary and secondary data collected through in-depth interviews of domestic tourists and online reviews of foreign tourists, respectively. Data analysis reveals the significant result that sustainable island tourism comprises two important elements: a supply and a demand side of a destination. The supply side describes low-carbon service operations—which include food, lodging, and ecological tourist activities—while the demand side reflects tourist behaviors—expressed through cognition, emotion, and motivation as well as authenticity. In addition, this paper makes an important contribution to management by emphasizing the need for careful attention to tourism psychology, particularly in natural and ecological environments that use tourism as a marketing strategy in cultural ecosystems services (CES).

Highlights

In recent years, sustainable tourism has blossomed into several important subtypes, such as ecotourism [1], local food tourism [2], slow travel [3], music festival [4], rural tourism [5], and cultural tourism [6]
Tourism service providers must consider what they provide beyond low-carbon operations, and encourage tourists to behave more responsibly towards the environment so as to minimize human-caused damage
These psychological processes do connect with sustainable tourism, and support responsible tourist behavior as they interact with low-carbon operations of tourism service providers

Summary

Introduction

Sustainable tourism has blossomed into several important subtypes, such as ecotourism [1], local food tourism [2], slow travel [3], music festival [4], rural tourism [5], and cultural tourism [6]. The context allows sustainable tourism to connect tourists with natural environments and facilitates responsible behaviors in cultural or cross-cultural experiences [7]. Tourism service providers must consider what they provide beyond low-carbon operations, and encourage tourists to behave more responsibly towards the environment so as to minimize human-caused damage. A sustainable tourism service provider’s goal is to allow tourists to explore a local culture responsibly, to act in accordance with a cultural context. Psychologists Markus and Kitayama [9] point out that cultural experience is a psychological process [9] linked to cognition, emotion, and motivation In cultural experiences, these psychological processes do connect with sustainable tourism, and support responsible tourist behavior as they interact with low-carbon operations of tourism service providers.

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