Exploratory Study of the Impact of Significant Ecotourism Experience on Voluntary Carbon-Offset Behaviour of Young Travellers in Their Long-Haul Air Travel Choices

The aim of this research is to explore whether there is a discernible impact of significant ecotourism experience on the extent to which travellers are willing to voluntarily carbon-offset (VCO). Placed in the context of VCO schemes for long-haul air travel (between Australia and Europe), a choice experiment has been designed with key attributes such as quantity and cost of the offset, the type of offset program and whether or not the program is certified. Two studies have been conducted involving 50 and 48 individuals, respectively. Findings suggest that attributes such as total cost of VCO, offset program certification and project type influence young travellers’ VCO choice behaviour. The preliminary results show evidence not inconsistent with the hypothesis that the variation in the relative importance of these attributes is associated with the respondent’s participation in significant ecotourism. In most cases, travellers were not willing to forego the option of not travelling, despite acknowledging the contribution the flight has on emissions. Results raise a case for the development of strategic marketing for VCO in aviation especially on routes to/from ecotourism destinations.