Study shows that environmental education influences behavior of Brazilian tourists

Tourism has a significant influence on multiple sectors of the economy and can directly affect sustainable development. Local infrastructure – including transportation and access to services, as well as the social, political and cultural elements of a region – is one of the factors that can shape tourists’ behavior in relation to sustainability. Initiatives such as environmental conservation actions and awareness raising can encourage tourists to adopt more sustainable behavior in tourist locations.

These are some of the findings set out in an article written by Mateus Canniatti Ponchio, a researcher at Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Sao Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP), in collaboration with Ceará Federal University, published in Santa Maria Federal University’s Journal of Administration. To assess how local infrastructure influences sustainable behavior during nature-focused tourism trips, the researchers interviewed 209 tourists from northeastern Brazil in March and April 2021. This type of tourism includes activities on beaches and in mountainous regions, for example.

The study reveals that the social and cultural aspects of local infrastructure have the potential to positively influence tourists’ behavior. In the destinations they visit, tourists perceive factors such as the local quality of life, access to educational initiatives in the region, nature conservation actions and concerns about local environmental impacts. When they recognize these aspects, tourists tend to make an effort to leave the areas they visit in a better condition than they found them and seek to contribute to the local economy, for example. 

On the other hand, public policies are not seen by this group as a factor that impacts the development of tourism. To achieve more sustainable tourism, the researchers suggest that public managers improve local infrastructure and encourage sustainable behavior among tourists. One of the recommended strategies is the implementation of educational actions to foster a local culture of sustainability, positively influencing tourists.

To read the full study, click here.