An exploratory study with western female tourists about perceived drivers and challenges towards environmental stewardship in a nature-based destination

Abstract

Nature-based destinations heavily rely on their natural environment as the primary driver to attract tourists. The balance between preserving the unique characteristics of the destination and meeting the demands of the rapidly growing tourism industry has become a pressing challenge. Environmental stewardship emerged as a proactive approach to mitigating the negative impacts of tourism on the environment. An exploratory research design was adopted to investigate how tourists perceive the importance of environmental stewardship. The thematic analysis revealed two primary themes that could explain the attitude-action-gap in the context of environmental stewardship. The results indicated a strong awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship. Moreover, there was a notable indifference towards taking action when the perceived impact seemed minimal or nonexistent. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to bridge the gap between awareness and behaviours among tourists and extend the discourse on the importance of long-term sustainability in nature-based destinations.