Understanding the cultural and individual drivers behind pro-environmental travel behaviour offers new strategies for sustainable tourism engagement
May 22, 2025
As sustainability becomes a core imperative in tourism, researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have explored how both cultural and personal values influence pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) among Chinese millennials – a generation that combines rising environmental awareness with strong consumer influence. The study reveals that promoting sustainable tourism cannot rely on environmental messaging alone; it must tap into cultural values and individual motivations like pleasure and practicality. These insights provide clear guidance for destination marketers and policymakers seeking to engage this influential group in creating a more sustainable tourism future.
Key takeaways
- Tourism’s environmental impact is significant, prompting stakeholders to prioritize sustainability through the promotion of pro-environmental behaviours (PEB) by travelers themselves.
- Chinese millennials (Generation Y) – a demographic known for luxury consumption and growing environmental concern – offer a unique lens to study how values influence sustainable travel choices.
- Individual values like hedonic (pleasure-seeking) and utilitarian (practicality-focused) motivations both positively influence PEB and preferences for sustainable tourism.
- Cultural values, based on Hofstede’s framework, also shape behaviour:
- Positive drivers: collectivism and long-term orientation increase PEB.
- Negative drivers: power distance, masculinity, individualism, and uncertainty tolerance reduce environmentally friendly attitudes.
- Preference for sustainable tourism mediates the relationship between values and behaviour – without this internal preference, pro-environmental action is less likely.
- Strategic recommendations for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) include:
- Crafting messages aligned with less individualistic, more communal and long-term value orientations.
- Emphasizing the enjoyment (hedonic value) of sustainable travel, especially for families.
- Engaging millennials as role models through school events, social media co-creation, and eco-friendly festivals.
- Policy implications suggest involving both parents and children in sustainability education and experiences can help cultivate long-term behavioural change.
Get the full story at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
