Study shows that dissemination of environmental education influences the behavior of Brazilian tourists

Tourism has a significant impact on multiple sectors of the economy and can directly impact sustainable development. Local infrastructure – which includes transportation and access to services, as well as social, political and cultural elements of the region – is one of the factors that can shape tourists’ behavior towards sustainability. Initiatives such as environmental conservation actions and educational practices about the destination, for example, encourage tourists to adopt more sustainable behaviors in tourist locations.

The analysis is in an article published by Mateus Canniatti Ponchio, a researcher at the São Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP), in collaboration with the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), in the UFSM Administration Journal. To assess how local infrastructure influences sustainable behavior during nature tourism trips, the researchers interviewed 209 tourists from the Brazilian Northeast between March and April 2021. This type of tourism includes activities on beaches and mountainous regions, for example.

The study reveals that the social and cultural aspects of local infrastructure have the potential to positively influence tourist behavior. In the destinations they visit, tourists notice factors such as the local quality of life, access to educational initiatives about the region, nature conservation actions and concern for the environmental impacts of the places they visit. By recognizing these aspects, tourists tend to make an effort to leave the areas they visit in better condition than they found them and seek to contribute to the local economy, for example. 

On the other hand, public policies are not seen by this public as a factor that impacts tourism development. To achieve more sustainable tourism, researchers suggest that public managers improve local infrastructure and encourage sustainable behavior among tourists. One of the recommended strategies is the implementation of educational actions that foster a  culture of sustainability  in the location, positively influencing tourists.

To read the full study, click here.