Conventional tourism poses a threat to the environmental quality around the world. Air travel is continuously increasing in response to the rising number of international passengers. Pollution from aviation, amongst other modes of transportation, in form of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has impacts on a global scale due to its contribution to climate change and other environmental issues. Even though the world has become increasingly aware of environmental issues relating to unsustainable production and consumption approaches, while claiming an urgency to change this, CO2 levels are still significantly amplifying while the impacts of climate change are becoming progressively apparent. Consumers and tourists can be viewed as a part of the problem due to their support of, and engagement in practices such as air travel. This is why this study examines the current consumer behaviors of Danish tourists in regards to green consumerism across different contexts. However, practices in regards to transportation are the main area of investigation due to its omnipresence in tourism and its environmentally destructive impact. Moreover, the study investigates the motivational complexities of green consumerism and how green consumerism can be optimized through structural and behavioral changes. The study also explores how environmental sustainability can be enhanced in the tourism industry through different eco-oriented initiatives.
The primary data being examined is obtained through a qualitative survey, with responses from 354 informants, aimed at gaining insight into their travel behavior and approaches to practices of green consumerism. Presented by Politiken, a quantitative megaphone-measurement study of 1.044 Danish people involving similar research objectives will be used to support the survey findings. Additionally, document analysis is the second method of obtaining knowledge and information about the issues in examination and discussion.
The study found that majority of Danish tourists cannot be considered to be green consumers when it comes to travel behavior. Aviation is the most preferred transportation form when travelling abroad, and the respondents do not regard the environmental impact of their transportation choices. Additionally, the environmental impact of flying does not influence Danish tourists in their choice of going on long flight journeys. The most important factors in their choice of transportation are price, speed and availability. However, they agree that an environmentally compensational CO2-fee on flight journeys would be all right, which shows an awareness of its destructive impact, but despite this, the respondents are not willing to change their behavior. In their everyday life, Danish tourist are more engaged in green consumer behaviors in terms of household practices, while the majority chooses to commute by bus and bicycle at home. The motivational complexities of green consumerism are very varied and can either enable or counteract a person to be an effective green consumer. Individuals have different possibilities and abilities to partake in green consumer practices, in which internal and external environments can influence a person in several ways. The study observed that the informants are more likely to participate in green consumerism if the practices involve similar costs as non-green alternatives. Lastly, the study proposes that the best way to enhance environmental sustainability in tourism is through collective action, where authorities, legislators, industries and consumers facilitate effective ways to transition to more sustainable approaches, where proper implementation of policies is necessary to ensure environmental sustainability throughout approaches of production and consumption.