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Traditional factors such as value for money, the weather, and the scenery remain significantly more important to travelers than sustainability considerations when choosing a vacation destination.
Sustainability features have an impact on decision-making primarily when they are directly visible and tangible to tourists, whereas “invisible” infrastructure measures are given little weight.
Within the dimensions of sustainability, sociocultural factors—particularly the desire to avoid overcrowding—take precedence over purely ecological or economic criteria.
Identification of three tourist groups: a tradition-oriented majority, an environmentally conscious group focused on sustainable mobility, and a high-income segment that values a combination of ecology and culture.
Abstract of this study
Sustainability has become an important factor in tourism, but its actual influence on the choice of travel destination has not yet been fully assessed when compared to traditional characteristics. This study uses an analytical and operational framework to compare environmental, sociocultural, and economic sustainability characteristics with traditional attributes in the decision-making process for a summer vacation. The analysis is based on a sample of 2,098 respondents from Austria.
The study uses a MaxDiff experiment to derive individual importance scores for 18 attributes—covering both sustainable and traditional factors. Overall, the results show that traditional attributes such as landscape, climate, and value for money carry more weight than sustainability concerns, while among the sustainable attributes, sociocultural factors are considered more important.
True to the saying “out of sight, out of mind,” features are rated higher when they are tangible to tourists (such as landscapes), as opposed to “invisible” factors like green electricity. A cluster analysis identified three tourist profiles:
- A traditional cluster (44.85%) that focuses on classic and familiar experiences
- An eco-friendly cluster (38.23%) that prioritizes sustainable mobility
- A balanced cluster (16.92%) that values environmental sustainability alongside a strong cultural awareness and places less emphasis on affordability
The discriminant analysis revealed that the choice of transportation modes, types of accommodations, leisure activities, and income level significantly determine the differences between the clusters. The results suggest that sociocultural aspects of sustainability rank higher than ecological mobility options and that premium experiences could be promoted that protect local culture and nature.
Key Findings of this Study
- Dominance of Traditional Factors: Conventional criteria such as the landscape, the climate, and good value for money are significantly more decisive for the choice of a travel destination than sustainability considerations
- Priority of sociocultural sustainability: Among the dimensions of sustainability, travelers rank sociocultural factors—particularly the avoidance of overcrowding and hospitality—as the most important
- The “visibility gap”: Sustainability features are valued most highly when they are directly visible and tangible to tourists (e.g., unspoiled nature), while “invisible” infrastructure such as green electricity carries little weight
- Three distinct traveler profiles: The study identifies a traditionally oriented majority, an environmentally conscious group focused on sustainable mobility, and a high-income segment that values the combination of ecology and culture
- Sustainability as a competitive advantage: Although it is often secondary, strong sustainability performance can serve as a decisive differentiator when destinations are very similar in their traditional offerings