International tourists’ awareness and attitude about environmental responsibility and sustainable practices

This study explored tourists’ attitude towards the environmental practices of hotels and tourist organizations in South Korea. Specifically this study investigated their knowledge of green hotels’ environmental programs and how this knowledge influences their decision to purchase green accommodations. This study also investigated the impact of nationality on the attitude of international tourists towards environmentally friendly practices of the hotel and tourism industry in South Korea. In order to capture public perceptions, this study used focus group interviews that can provide deeper meaning in an interactive manner. The interview session for this study included six interviews of small groups of five people in each. Three major groups of international visitors to Korea from CIS countries (such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan), the United States of America and China were included in this study. Results show that environmental awareness of the tourists is a predictor for changing their attitude and consequently their purchasing behavior. Respondents who showed a high level of awareness expressed their willingness and readiness to participate in the green practices of the hotel and tourism industries. With regard to the impact of nationality on tourists’ attitude, the results from this study do not support the findings from earlier studies. No differences were discovered in the environmental attitude of international tourists to South Korea. These findings say that it is important for hotels and tourism organizations to provide information about their environmental policies and practices in order to raise tourists’ awareness of environmental issues.