The impact of tourist engagement on low–carbon behavior in glacier tourism

Abstract

Over the last decade, glaciers have gained increasing popularity as tourist destinations while experiencing rapid retreat due to climate change. The accelerated glacial recession worldwide calls for carbon reduction and sustainable glacier conservation and management. To this end, simply prohibiting tourists from visiting may not be as effective, comparing to engaging them through innovative means to promote pro-environmental behavior. This paper examined factors that influence tourists’ low-carbon behavior while on-site and after their visits to glaciers through two studies (Study 1 – on-site visitor survey; Study 2 – a scenario experiment using glacier virtual reality games). Results showed that tourist engagement positively influenced their low-carbon behavior, but was mediated by the sequential influence of place attachment and environmental responsibility. The perceived threat of glacier shrinkage moderated this relationship. Results also provide practical implications for sustainable tourism management at glacier destinations and beyond.