Encouraging sustainable travel choices through behavioral interventions to reduce tourists’ carbon footprints

Carbon emissions from tourism transportation are a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. Projections indicate that these emissions are expected to rise substantially in the future. Therefore, this research study identified the factors that encourage tourists to opt for sustainable travel choices, such as using public transportation, electric vehicles, walking, cycling, taking shorter trips, sharing travel, and reducing the frequency of trips. The study considers variables such as environmental concern, awareness of carbon footprint, and sustainability consciousness. Additionally, sustainability consciousness was examined as a mediating variable, while socio-demographic factors were considered as moderating variables. A quantitative research technique was adopted to collect data on tourists from various tourism destinations in India, and PLS-SEM was employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that environmental concern positively influenced the intention to adopt sustainable travel choices, with sustainability consciousness serving as a significant mediating variable. Moreover, age was identified as a moderating variable influencing the relationship between intention to adopt sustainable travel choices and actual sustainable travel behavior. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers to promote low-carbon travel in tourism destinations.