beyond niche markets consumer attitude towards ethical tourism omar moufakkir stenden university...
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BEYOND NICHE MARKETSCONSUMER ATTITUDE
TOWARDS ETHICAL TOURISM
Omar Moufakkir
Stenden University
Leeuwarden
The Netherlands
Foreign exchange?
. Goodbye and Hello Ibiza.
Souvenirs, Souvenirs!
Darling, remind me again, which country are we in?
What would you do?
What w
ould
you d
o?
What w
ould
you d
o?
Can you think of some situations where it is/was difficult to act “morally” or
according to the rules?
Would you do it again?
• Due to the problems associated with mass tourism, tourists are moving away from the ‘traditional irresponsible’ tourists towards a more responsible (Krippendorf, 1987), ‘new’ (Poon, 1993), ‘ethical’, ‘environmentally responsible’, ‘good’ (Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999), ‘enlightened’(Tearfund, 2002), and ‘experiential type of tourists (King, 2002).
• Some authors have argued that ethical principles create for tour operators that embrace them an opportunity for competitive advantage (Tearfund, 2001; Weeden, 2002; Goodwin & Francis, 2003),
• Others, however, have advanced that any form of responsible travel, if not ethics in general seem to remain a “myth” (Josephides, 2002).
• Ethics don’t interest clients, Josephides (2002), the managing director of Sunvil Holidays, argues in the Travel Trade Gazette that
• “British tourists have absolutely no interest in supporting a host country’s economy, respecting local customs or acting responsible while on holiday (…). They also want it cheap and to hell with who or what is exploited to get the price down”.
• The ethical deficit often seems to be a feature of many areas of modern society “such as public policy, scientific research or business developments. Some consumers even doubt the applicability of ethics to such areas at all” (Rosaleen and Smith, 2003: 8).
• In sum, while some lament this ethical deficit (e.g, Rosaleen and Smith, 2003), others enthuse about the new ethical orientation of tourists (e.g., Tearfund, 2001; 2002), and while some have developed codes of ethics (e.g., WTO; WTTC; UNEP; TIAC), others have indicated their discontentment with such endeavors, and oppose “the vocabulary of the New Moral Tourist” (e.g., Butcher, 2002: 71).
• This controversial climate raised the following question: What is the attitude of consumers towards ethical tourism?
• The intent was to assess whether respondents were predisposed to behave ethically in their tourism behavior.
• Attitudes have traditionally been defined as “learned predispositions to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object”. Attitude formation precedes, guides, and influences a leisure service purchase decision (Reid and Crompton, 1993).
• In general, ethics refers to well-based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.
• Ethics in tourism refers to what tourism stakeholders ought to do to make tourism sustainable; whereby host areas and their habitats and consumers, holiday makers, and the tourism industry engage in tourism actions that are mutually benefiting the present without presenting adverse impacts to the future.
• For the purpose of this study, ethical tourism has been defined as tourism that incorporates tourism ethics principles; whereby consumers make the difference between what is right and what is wrong in their tourism behavior.
• South Africa (N=165) March-April, 2006 Port Elizabeth, Port Alfred, East London up to the Wild Coast such as Port St. Johns, including small towns in the inland area of the Eastern Cape as well.
• Switzerland (N=267) March-April, 2005. Ticino region. They include Lugano, and Locarno.
• Netherlands (N=231) March-April, 2006 a large city, a mid-sized city, a town, and a village. These were Rotterdam, Utrech, Groningen, Drachten, and Diever.
• Germany (N=265) October 10-20, 2006.
Munich (Bavaria)
Jessen, Battin (Saxony- Anhalt)
Bremen, Bremen
Berlin (Berlin)
Halle, Polleben (Saxony- Anhalt)
Leipzig, Panitzsch (Saxony)
Erfurt (Thuringia)
Norden(Lower Saxony)
Bonn (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Saal an der Donau (Bavaria)
What information do you require before going on holiday? (Check all that apply)
I would like to have information regarding:
95% Switzerland
94% Netherlands
96% Germany
Local customs and appropriate behaviours for tourists
77.0 50.6 63
Main sites to visit at the destination 72.3 63.6 78
Sheet with ten tips for ethically responsible travellers
70.9 8.2 16
History of the host-region and community 43.9 35.5 44
How to protect the local environment and reduce waste
42.8 8.7 11
Ways for tourists to support the local economy 39.2 10.0 11
Local religious beliefs 37.1 13.9 19
Political background of the country and specific region visited
36.0 16.0 34
The wages and working conditions of the local people
28.4 10.4 7
Information required
South Africa
Who do you think is responsible to provide you with such information? (Check all that apply)
I think I should be informed by:
% Switzerland % Netherlands
Travel agents 75.5 64.5
Travel books/guides 72.3 37.2
Tour operators including tour guides at the destination 68.7 60.6
Hotels & accommodation facilities 68.0 19.9
Tourist information offices at the destination 64.0 35.5
Foreign Office Travel Advice Unit 26.6 0.0
Government 0.0 9.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
GermanySouth Africa
Criteria affecting holiday destination choice
Which criteria play a relevant role in determining the choice for your holiday? (Check all that apply)
My holiday has to have the following qualities:
%Switzerland
%Netherlands
Nice weather 75.9 68.4
Affordable cost 70.9 87.0
There is a significant opportunity for interaction with the local people
63.7 19.0
Used the company before 60.1 0.0
Good information is available on the social, economic and political situation of the country and local area visited
59.4 25.1
Guaranteed a good quality hotel with facilities 56.1 36.8
Company has ethical policies 51.8 7.4
Trip has been specifically designed to cause as little damage as possible to the environment
48.9 13.0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Price
Weath
Qu
al
Info
Interact
little dam
Co
mp
ethic
Used
Co
South AfricaGermany
Factors influencing choice for booking with or recommending a holiday company
Swiss respondents
To what extent would each of the following factors influence your choice for booking with or recommending a holiday company (Check all that apply)
Veryimportant
Quite important Not very important
Irrelevant
Quality of accommodation in the hotel / apartment
Reputation of the holiday company to resolve problems overseas
Quality of the service in the resort
Provision of social and environmental information in tour operator’s brochures
Reputation of the holiday company on environmental issues
36.0
31.3
41.7
35.2
33.1
35.0
38.5
36.3
29.9
32.7
15.5
20.5
14.4
21.2
21.9
13.3
9.7
7.6
13.7
12.2
Dutch respondents
To what extent would each of the following factors influence your choice for booking with or recommending a holiday company (Check all that apply)
Veryimportant
Quite important Not very important
Irrelevant
Quality of accommodation in the hotel / apartment
Reputation of the holiday company to resolve problems overseas
Quality of the service in the resort
Provision of social and environmental information in tour operator’s brochures
Reputation of the holiday company on environmental issues
46.8
22.1
35.7
14.0
1.0
44.6
56.3
55.7
53.7
43.9
6.1
20.8
7.7
26.6
37.0
2.6
1.0
1.3
5.7
9.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
South Africa
Germany
Traditional criteria seem to load heavier than the ethics-oriented
criteria
CONCLUSION 1
Familiarity with ethics in tourism
no yes
Familiar with ethical tourism
Swiss respondents
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Percentage
Yes No
Figure 2. Familiarity with ethics in tourism.
yes5%
no95%
South Africa
86
14
No Yes
Germ
any
SwitzerlandNeth
erland
s
Likelihood of booking with an ethically-oriented tour operator
yes no difference
undecided no
Willingness to book with an ethically-oriented company
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Per
cent
Dutch respondents
yes no difference
undecided no
Swiss respondents
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Percentage
Yes M akes nodifference
Undecided No
GermanySouth Africa
Netherlands Switzerland
Respondents’ ethical responsibility while on holiday trip
always usually sometimes never
Do you make sure codes are respecetd?
0
10
20
30
40
Per
cent
Dutch respondents
always usually sometimes never
Do you make sure codes are respected?
Swiss respondents
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Percen
tage
Alw ays Usually Som etim es Never
South AfricaGermany
Netherlands Switzerland
05
10152025303540
Percentage
Complain Take directaction
ChangeAgency
Other
What would you do?
South Africa
Willingness to pay for ethical tourism
yes no
Would you be willing to pay more?
0
20
40
60
80
Per
cent
Dutch respondents
no yes
Would you be willing to pay more?
Swiss respondents
75,2
24,8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage
Willing to pay more?
64%
36%
South AfricaGermany
Netherlands Switzerland
Amount of extra money respondents would be willing to pay
2% 5% 10% 20% or more
How much more?
0
10
20
30
40
50
Perc
en
t
Dutch respondents
2% 5% 10% 20%
How much more?
Swiss respondents
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Percentage
2% or less 5% 10% 20% or more
28
46
26
South AfricaGermany
Netherlands Switzerland
Activities respondents would be willing to pay more if they were guaranteed
Which of the following activities would you be willing to pay more money for if they were guaranteed as part of your holiday (Check all that apply)
%Switzerland %Netherlands
Workers in the destination are guaranteed good wages and working conditions
67.6 49.6
Money goes towards preservation of the local environment and reversal of some of the negative environmental effects associated with tourism
63.3 54.8
Money goes to support a local charity or local community
42.1 27.8
None of the above 7.2 17.2
010203040506070
Percen
tage
Environment
Working con
Charity ..
4346
34
GermanySouth Africa
Desired Location for depositing the extra money collected
Where would you like the extra money to be put? %Switzerland %Netherlands
Given to Non Governmental Organizations 77.3 22.9
Divided into the local community 74.7 53.0
Given to the local Government 66.2 12.7
In a local bank, in a fund 56.1 13.3
Kept from the Tour Operators 24.2 13.9
Germany
South Africa
What is you motivation behind paying more for holiday from a tour operator which has a written code to guarantee good working conditions, are trustful in their promotion, are oriented towards environmental issues and keen on local economy?
Switzerland Netherlands
I see it as an investment for future generations 71.2 26.5
I feel morally better 63.6 29.5
I feel one of the authors of degradation and therefore I want to provide at least financial sustenance
60.1 24.1
I see it as a charity offer 50.5 15.7
It is one of my personal obligation (morally obliged) 27.8 26.5
I do not know where to invest my money 17.2 0.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Percentage
South AfricaGermany
Ethical tourism orientation of respondentsDo you think people should know about ethics in tourism?
yes no no opinion
Sould people know about ethical tourism?
Swiss respondents
8%
25%
67%
yes may be no
50
41
9
54
13
33
South Africa
Germany
Netherlands
Switzerland
yes no no opinion
Should people be ethical while on trip?
Swiss respondents
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage
Yes No Don't know
71%
6%23%
yes no maybe
Should people be ethical while on trip?
54
14
32
GermanySouth Africa
Netherlands
Switzerland
There is a positive inclination towards ethics/be-coming
ethical
CONCLUSION 2
Tourism ethics in hospitality and tourism related journals, 1990-2006.
Year Number of articles
1990- 1999 6
2000 0
2001 0
2002 5
2003 8
2004 9
2005 8
2006 4
Total 40
Source: Adapted from Lynn (2007).
Dissemination of the Code of Ethics for Tourism to stakeholders
http://www.world-tourism.org/code_ethics/pdf/A_16_20%20Add1_e.pdf
Criticism of Codes
• Organizations that support such codes are more concerned with public image
• Many codes are too generic and do not provide guidance for industry specific dilemmas that may face individuals on a day-to-day basis
• No code of ethics can cover all circumstances• Difficulty of enforcing codes: without the power
to reward or punish those that follow or transgress the code of ethics, its utility is limited
• “Even relatively small-scale tourism can have serious negative impacts” (Rosaleen and Smith, 2003:135).
• “Forms of tourism that are alternatives to mass tourism have been criticized for focusing “almost exclusively on localized, relatively small-scale development projects, rarely transcending local or regional boundaries, or on particular industry sectors” (Sharpley, 2000:9).
Where are we going to?
What do we want to become?
Alternative tourism
Ethical tourism
Niche tourism
Mass tourism
Sustainable tourism
TOURISM
Alternative tourism
Ethical tourism
Niche tourism
Mass tourism
Sustainable tourism
TOURISM
ETHICSFrom niches to the mass
Abstract: Tourism is growing and so are its concerns. Under the umbrella of sustainable tourism several forms of tourism have emerged as alternatives to mass tourism. The conceptualization of ethical tourism in this paper calls for tourism concerns beyond niche markets, towards the exposure of tourism ethics to the mass tourists. An instrument was used to assess the ethical attitude of respondents towards ethical tourism. The results indicate that respondents are not ethical in their tourism orientation; however, the aspiration to become ethical was acknowledged through, among others, their willingness to pay more to secure some ethical criteria, and their predisposition to support ethical tourism. The acknowledged deficit of ethics in tourism calls for more tourism ethics exposure.
Economic Growth
Environmental Protection
SocialDevelopment
Sustainable Tourism
Ethics in tourism as conducive to sustainable tourism for the mass market.
Guests
Hosts
Tour Operators
Ethical Stakeholders
Ethical Tourism
As tourism is a global phenomenon, critics of alternative types of tourism have indicated a need to go beyond niche marketing, into incorporating ethics in tourism in general (e.g., Butler, 1998; Klemm, 1992; Sharpley, 2000; Tribe, 2002; Liu, 2003).
Since there is a will there
should be a way
CONCLUSION 3
There appears to be a deficit of ethics in tourism and
hospitality curricula & marketing campaigns
CONCLUSION 4