Testing the effectiveness of increased frequency of norm-nudges in encouraging sustainable tourist behaviour

A Field Experiment Using Actual and Self-Reported Behavioural Data

Bibliographic Data

ID7324263
AuthorsMarie Nowak (0000-0003-0794-5843, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden, corresponding author), Omar Alnyme (Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden), Tobias Heldt (0000-0001-5031-3863, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden)
Year2023
Volume32
Issue7
Pages1307-1331
Publication date2023-06-09
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Sustainable Tourism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0966-9582 • E-ISSN: 1747-7646
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09669582.2023.2220979
OpenAlexW4380087883
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited56

Norm-nudges are effective in encouraging sustainable consumer behaviour in various settings, by raising the salience of the target behaviour via social norms. Tourism presents a highly hedonic context, in which behaviour is primarily framed by self-oriented goals as opposed to normative ones related to the good of the environment and society. While the existing literature provides insights on the appropriate content of norm-nudges to raise the salience of normative goals, less is known about an appropriate frequency of nudges. It is important to address this gap in tourism because tourists need to be aware of desired sustainable behaviours, while overly obtrusive nudges may backfire. A field experiment was conducted to test the extent to which an increased frequency of norm-nudges has a backfiring effect on sustainable tourist behaviour, using donations for mountain-biking trails as the target behaviour. Results show that increasing the frequency of norm-nudges does not diminish their positive uptake, which suggests that they can be used more to encourage sustainable behaviour and enhance tourists’ experiences. Using actual and self-reported behavioural data, this study provides new empirical evidence on the effectiveness of increased frequency of norm-nudges in a real tourism setting, contributing to knowledge on norm-nudges and backfiring effects. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Cognitive psychology · Norm (philosophy · Normative · Nudge theory · Political science · Salience (neuroscience · Sustainability · Sustainable tourism · Tourism · Economic and Environmental Valuation · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology · Ecology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access