Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
A tale of two generations, their environmental attitudes, and combined signs of the green gap
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts, Business Administration and Industrial Engineering.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9797-5725
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts, Business Administration and Industrial Engineering.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4440-6403
2025 (English)In: Tourism Recreation Resarch, ISSN 0250-8281, E-ISSN 2320-0308Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

Younger generations are often portrayed as more environmentally conscious than older cohorts, yet research on their pro-environmental attitudes remains inconclusive. Using Mann–Whitney U tests, this study compares Millennials and Generation Z across five psychological constructs related to pro-environmental tourist behaviour. It also examines the antecedents of personal norms – a sense of moral obligation to protect the environment – through hierarchical regression on the combined sample. The generational comparison shows that Millennials feel more empowered, display stronger perceived social norms, and report a stronger moral obligation for environmentally friendly travel than Generation Z. The regression analysis identifies perceived behavioural control as the strongest predictor of personal norms, followed by psychological empowerment and awareness of consequences. Generation, included as a control variable, does not significantly influence the formation of personal norms. Notably, while 65% of respondents report high personal norms, fewer than 3% choose to learn more about sustainable travel when given the opportunity, showing signs of the well-known gap between environmental attitudes and behaviour. The study contributes to generational research, expands an adapted Norm Activation Model, and highlights the importance of fostering a sense of control and empowerment. It also underscores the need for careful attention to communication format, framing and timing.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis, 2025.
Keywords [en]
Millennials, generation Z, sustainable tourism, norm activation model
National Category
Business Administration
Research subject
Industrial Marketing
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-112454DOI: 10.1080/02508281.2025.2528227ISI: 001544390600001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105013138075OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-112454DiVA, id: diva2:1953179
Note

Full text license: CC BY 4.0;

Available from: 2025-04-17 Created: 2025-04-17 Last updated: 2026-03-19
In thesis
1. Behind the Scenes of Pro-Environmental Tourist Behavior: Exploring Barriers, Drivers, and Antecedents
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Behind the Scenes of Pro-Environmental Tourist Behavior: Exploring Barriers, Drivers, and Antecedents
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This mixed-method dissertation explores the barriers, drivers, and antecedents of pro-environmental behavior in tourism, with a focus on Generations Y and Z. Based on interviews with Generation Z consumers, the first study identifies primarily low motivation, but also limited knowledge, and restricted opportunities as key barriers to pro-environmental travel engagement. It proposes structural and informational interventions to make eco-friendly options more appealing and accessible. The second study delves into Reddit discussions, uncovering that while users recognize the link between tourism and climate change, low self-efficacy and ten perceived barriers hinder important behaviors. The findings provide insights into which tourism choices are important for consumers when striving to minimize their climate impact. The third study draws on survey data to compare Generations Y and Z on psychological constructs influencing their pro-environmental behavior. The results show that Generation Y reports higher levels of psychological empowerment and perceived social norms. Perceived behavioral control is identified as the strongest predictor of personal norms, followed by psychological empowerment and awareness of consequences. The study also reveals a striking gap: while 65% of respondents report strong personal norms to protect the environment, less than 3% of the total sample chose to learn more about eco-friendly travel when given the opportunity in the online setting. The fourth study, also survey-based, examines how subjective knowledge, awareness of consequences, environmental concern, and psychological empowerment influence personal norms and behavioral intentions. A moderation analysis finds that environmental concern has a stronger impact among individuals with higher objective environmental knowledge. The dissertation presents key lessons learned during the PhD journey, offering a discussion of strengths, areas for improvement, and integrated insights from all studies.

Abstract [sv]

Denna avhandling som är baserad på en blandad metodansats undersöker barriärer, drivkrafter, och faktorer som påverkar miljövänligt beteende inom turism med fokus på Generation Y och Z. Den första studien, som bygger på intervjuer med konsumenter från Generation Z, identifierar framför allt låg motivation, men även begränsad kunskap och begränsade möjligheter som centrala hinder för engagemang i miljövänligt resande. Studien föreslår strukturella och informativa åtgärder för att göra miljövänliga alternativ mer tilltalande och tillgängliga. Den andra studien undersöker diskussioner på Reddit och avslöjar att även om användare inser kopplingen mellan turism och klimatförändringar, hindras viktiga beteenden av låg självförmåga och tio upplevda barriärer. Resultaten ger insikter om vilka val inom turism som är viktiga för konsumenter som strävar efter att minimera sin klimatpåverkan. Den tredje studien bygger på enkätdata och jämför Generation Y och Z utifrån psykologiska faktorer som påverkar miljövänligt beteende. Resultaten visar att Generation Y rapporterar högre nivåer av psykologisk egenmakt och upplevda sociala normer. Upplevd beteendekontroll identifieras ha störst påverkan på personliga normer, följt av psykologisk egenmakt och medvetenhet om konsekvenser. Studien visar också ett signifikant gap: medan 65% av respondenterna rapporterar starka personliga normer för att skydda miljön, valde mindre än 3% av det totala urvalet att lära sig mer om miljövänligt resande när de fick möjlighet i den digitala miljön. Den fjärde studien, som också bygger på enkätdata, undersöker hur subjektiv kunskap, medvetenhet om konsekvenser, miljöoro och psykologisk egenmakt påverkar personliga normer och beteendeintentioner. En moderationsanalys visar att miljöoro har större effekt bland individer med hög objektiv miljökunskap. Avhandlingen presenterar centrala lärdomar från doktorandresan och innehåller en diskussion om styrkor, förbättringsområden och integrerade insikter från samtliga studier. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Luleå: Luleå University of Technology, 2025
Series
Doctoral thesis / Luleå University of Technology, ISSN 1402-1544
Keywords
Sustainable Tourism, Pro-Environmental Behavior, Generation Y, Generation Z, Goal-Framing Theory, Motivation-Opportunity-Ability Framework, Norm-Activation Model, Value-Belief-Norm Theory, Self-Efficacy
National Category
Business Administration
Research subject
Industrial Marketing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-112456 (URN)978-91-8048-825-9 (ISBN)978-91-8048-826-6 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-06-16, A1123, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, 13:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2025-04-23 Created: 2025-04-17 Last updated: 2025-10-21Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(1008 kB)241 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 1008 kBChecksum SHA-512
caf24daf9048215d7ac3eef43268a9fd5cd14c84aa9dbace7c9dd190bf5e9cf3039b49fcd964282aac5f2ce0775431adaa623168a947902e206968fa98521ef6
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Nilsson Vestola, JennyKirsten, Marnell

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Nilsson Vestola, JennyKirsten, Marnell
By organisation
Business Administration and Industrial Engineering
In the same journal
Tourism Recreation Resarch
Business Administration

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 241 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 111 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf