Intentions, actions, and assumptions: a wake-up call for behavioural research in sustainable tourism

Abstract

Behavioural research is foundational to sustainable tourism, yet persistent methodological shortcomings warrant critical reflection. This paper issues a wake-up call to the field, drawing attention to the enduring gap between behavioural intentions and actual behaviours, the overreliance on cross-sectional survey designs, and the conflation of self-reports with observed actions. We identify key methodological pitfalls in the study of behavioural intent and behaviour, including the dominance of designs that obscure causality, the widespread use of self-reported data prone to recall and social desirability biases, and structural challenges such as self-selection, self-representation, and self-deception. Further concerns include the uncritical adaptation of weak or context-inappropriate scales, limited methodological triangulation, and questionable research practices such as HARKing. Drawing on exemplar articles published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, we showcase best practices in capturing real-world behaviour through experimental and longitudinal approaches. We also outline the Journal’s evolving expectations for submissions, introducing a tiered framework clarifying acceptable methodological standards. We call for robust theoretical innovation, thoughtful scale development, and empirically grounded designs that engage with the complexity of real behaviour—advancing behavioural research in sustainable tourism toward greater credibility, transparency, and impact.