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This paper argues that developing practical interventions of responsible behavior requires a deeper understanding of different segments of tourists with different environmental and psychological dispositions. Dwelling on two socio-psychological theories of cognitive dissonance and the focus theory of normative conduct, 724 Chinese tourists are surveyed and segmented. Three segments namely eco-distressed, eco-pragmatic, and eco-calm are identified revealing different dispositions of eco-paralysis, environmental concern, and pro-environmental behaviors. Complemented by 37 interviews, we found that eco-paralysis does not necessarily mean inaction but helplessness and perceptions of feeling "small" in the face of "giant" climate change while overcoming numbness with small actions. This study suggests that the eco-paralysis of Chinese tourists is manifested at the cognitive-emotional level rather than at the behavioral level. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the varying degrees of cognitive dissonance among different tourists with each group displaying unique environmental concerns and behaviors. It, theoretically, highlights how social and injunctive norms such as government environmental advocacy and traditional virtues ["qinjian jieyue"] stimulate progressive actions despite feelings of powerlessness. Thus, it questions the prevalent interpretation in environmental psychological research that helplessness means inaction by revealing that tourists could still be environmentally proactive despite cognitive-emotional challenges from climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attempts to address undesirable behaviors that trigger backpacker-community conflict have overlooked the nexus between perceived skills development and behavioral enactments. This paper argues that the resolution of the backpacker-community conflict would require greater attention to a win-win exchange process based on sustainable development. It employs both Acquisition-Transaction Utility Theory and Social Exchange Theory to examine the relationship between backpacker perceived skill development during travel and their (un)sustainable behaviors to separate mutually beneficial behaviors from self-centered behavioral outcomes. A novel approach to backpacking literature is applied to investigate the (un)sustainable behaviors that drive the backpackers' perceived skills development. We also uniquely assess the influence of gender and nationality behavioral differences on perceived skills acquisition given the recognized heterogeneity of backpackers. Based on a survey of 400 backpackers in a developing country, the rigorous quantitative analysis showed evidence of a principal-agent problem (i.e. community-backpacker problem) that could be resolved through backpackers advancing sustainable community-centered behaviors. Consequently, this study extends social science theories by formulating a model that addresses a sustainable collective gain of the backpacking exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small accommodation enterprises have a great potential to assist the tourism industry in the progress toward sustainable development goals. This study explores the inherent complexity of sustainability practices with the recognition that sustainable behavior is the outcome of a reciprocal determinism between personal, environmental, and behavioral factors. Unlike previous studies, the role of knowledge of sustainability as a major determinant of self‐efficacy is investigated to understand whether differences in knowledge have any influence on sustainability practices. A qualitative approach was employed, and 26 owner‐managers of small accommodation enterprises (i.e., home‐stay) were sampled purposively. Three different knowledge groups are identified but their sustainability practices are not significantly different from each other. Significantly, an active group that understands sustainability as a tool for socialization emerges. These findings have a policy and theoretical implications for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability implementation depends principally on individual firms' recognition of the relevance of sustainability to their operations. However, the relevance of sustainability to micro tourism and hospitality accommodation enterprise (MTHAE) owners is still unclear in the current literature. To fill this gap, the present study explored the relevance of sustainability to home-stay owners, using a qualitative approach comprising a structured interview, in order to establish specific practices of this sector. It was found that socio-cultural sustainability is the most relevant dimension, resulting in a sustainability relevance hierarchy. For instance, socio-cultural actions that involve encouraging social interaction within the home-context and the sharing of local food and language culture are the most important practices, followed by economic actions (.i.e. ensuring client satisfaction) and environmental actions (i.e. waste separation, water treatment and storage and energy conservation). The prioritization of socio-cultural practices given the home-stay product characteristics and owner motivations theoretically challenges the equal importance principle of the triple bottom line sustainability with practical implication for government sustainability policies and certification programs as well as the promotion of cleaner production by destination management organizations (DMOs). Consequently, this study contributes to the theory and practice of sustainability while recognizing the limitations of the qualitative approach employed. Image 10423 • Sustainability practices require a recognition of the relevance of those practices. • Micro accommodation may violate the equal importance rule of triple bottom line. • Socio-cultural sustainability is the most relevant dimension for home-stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research on dark tourism lacks an in-depth investigation of the relationships between the various psychological factors that influence tourist satisfaction. Using the cognitive-affective-behavior system, this paper evaluates a theoretical model that postulates relationships between four constructs, namely: motivation, perceptions of tourism impacts, place attachment, and satisfaction. The study extends the tourism literature on cultural sustainability by showing the psychological connections of domestic tourists to a dark heritage site, and the implications for perceptions of tourism impacts on this heritage. Based on a sample of 414 domestic tourists at a dark heritage site in Elmina, Ghana, PLS-SEM confirmed several inter-relationships among the four constructs. Motivation had a positive relationship with perceptions of positive and negative tourism impacts, suggesting that the tourists who were more motivated to visit the site for cultural/learning experiences were also more inclined to perceive both positive and negative tourism impacts. Implications for dark tourism and how heritage site management can influence tourists' perceptions of impacts are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress towards a more sustainable tourism sector at an enterprise level has been slow, even though a number of studies have developed a variety of indicators. Indeed, so many indicators have been developed that industry seems to be overwhelmed by choice, leading to inaction, poor decision-making or adoption of the easiest option. Perhaps, simplicity is the way forward. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a number of studies that have proposed a variety of indicator themes to identify commonalities among them that may serve as a starting point for enterprises to move towards a more sustainable path. Seven key indicator themes emerged, including job creation, business viability, quality of life, water quality, waste management, energy conservation and maintenance of community integrity. The term ‘indicator theme’ is used for it identifies what needs to be assessed to monitor progress towards sustainable tourism, while simultaneously recognizing that specific measurement metrics may vary depending as they are site, context and enterprise specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]