Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Southern Europe will be a problem. How will such climate change impact on the traditional
North-South fl ow of tourism for European summer holiday destinations? How will tourists
alter their behaviour and patterns of movement?
Three trends are suggested by the Benfi eld UCL Hazard Research Centre (2007). Firstly, that
there will be a switch in the timing of Mediterranean holidays from the hot summer months to
the winter and shoulder months of autumn and spring. This change in pattern will call into
question the structures of Northern European societies with regard to educational cycles and the
timings of breaks in the educational and working calendar. Secondly, that tourists will increasingly
choose not to visit the large Mediterranean cities so as to avoid both the 'heat island' effect (such
cities are typically 1-2
0
C hotter than the surrounding countryside) and the deteriorating air
quality. Thirdly, that there will be greater fl ows of summer tourists to mountains and other more
temperate destinations. This European example is but one illustration. Other regions of the
world face other and related challenges. India and islands such as Goa, Maldives and the Seychelles
benefi t economically from tourism yet confront the problems of potentially more powerful
cyclones, erosion and loss of beaches, fl ooding of coastal zones and inland areas, damage and loss
of coral reefs, and even perhaps evacuation of some islands (Maldives) because of saltwater
penetrating the aquifers and freshwater supplies (Benfi eld UCL Hazard Research Centre 2007).
As yet, the adaptive capacity of tourists in response to climate change and the challenges it poses
across the globe is insuffi ciently understood (Gossling
et al
. 2012).
At a micro-level, the complexities of tourism compared to many other common product
categories make responsible choices diffi cult for the would-be tourist. This section pinpoints
some of these tensions. It is also useful to note at this point Peattie and Crane's (2005) warning
of the problems of sustainability research based on hypothetical situations. The use of hypothetical
scenarios (such as hypothetical statements of responsible tourism and the respondent's 'intention/
likelihood to purchase' in relation to price of the holiday) which typically are designed into
questionnaire instruments or experiments create opportunities for unrealistic yet socially
desirable responses. A respondent might claim that they would pay a higher price for a responsible
tourism product because this is the 'feel good' answer. The reality - as evidenced by other
data - suggests a different pattern of actual tourist behaviour. The cautionary note on such
methodological weaknesses helps prevent naïve interpretation of the fi ndings.
On the positive side, consumer empowerment enabled by Web 2.0 technologies, social media
and mobile technologies have given impetus to the ability of consumers to act together to drive
the sustainability agenda. Such collective behaviour gives new energy to boycotts of tourism
brands or destinations perceived as falling short on responsibility (the 'stick') and to 'buycotts' for
those perceived as deserving of encouragement (the 'carrot'). Flashmobs were used by consumers
as part of the mass demonstrations in 2008 against the expansion of Heathrow Terminal Five.
Conversely, the aptly named carrotmob.org which started in America harnesses the power of
collective spend to reward businesses (such as local restaurants) for their actual or promised
environmental performance. However, making good responsible choices in tourism is diffi cult
even for those with the time and inclination to try. We have encapsulated this problem of
consumer behaviour as 'tourist confusion'.
Tourist confusion
There are three components (complexity, certifi cation, cynicism) that contribute to tourist
confusion in respect of sustainability and responsible choices. Firstly, there is the complexity of
tourism itself and how individuals 'trade-off ' one sub-decision against another. It is in the nature
of tourism that tourists seeking responsible choices have to trade-off sub-decisions about
