1. Tourist Perceptions of Environmentally Friendly Innovations Kathleen Andereck Department of Recreation & Tourism Management Arizona State University

2. Introduction Along with the environmental movement, tourism businesses began incorporating environmentally friendly practices. At least partly motivated by market forces. Articles have discussed best practices, but few have considered tourists’ perceptions of green practices.

3. Purpose Purpose is to investigate tourists’ perceptions of environmentally responsible and innovative business practices. Analyzed attitudes of tourists toward “green” practices in tourist spaces.

4. Methods Visitors to the Arizona Welcome Center, and the Holbrook and Springerville Arizona Chamber of Commerce offices were surveyed on randomly selected days for a year. Trained travel counselors enlisted vacationers visiting Arizona for four weeks or less.

5. Respondents completed a short on-site questionnaire and took a longer diary questionnaire with them to mail back later. Reminders were sent to non-respondents. The response rate for diaries was 76% for an n of 855 for the entire year.

6. The questionnaire asked visitors: Importance of seeing “environmentally friendly” efforts, such as recycling bins, at tourism businesses and sites. Perceived value of several specific practices, such as landscaping with native plants and water use reduction programs. Questions about traveler characteristics, travel behavior, demographics.

7. Findings Seeing environmentally friendly practices at tourism sites and businesses is important to people. More than half reported it is quite to extremely important (mean=3.7 on 5 point scale).

8. Specific efforts are also important: Landscaping with native plants = 4.1 Energy efficient systems/energy conservation = 4.1 Recycling programs = 4.0 Renewable energy systems = 4.0 Gray-water systems = 4.0 Environmentally compatible architecture = 3.9 Items made of recycled materials = 3.8 Recycling items (maps, trail guides) = 3.7 Water use reduction programs = 3.7 Composting toilet systems = 3.5 Items of natural/organic materials = 3.4 (scale 1= not valuable; 5=extremely valuable)

9. Demographics Women feel green practices are somewhat more valuable than men. Unmarried people do too. Younger respondents value green practices more highly than older respondent.

10. Activities Importance of seeing environmentally friendly efforts correlated with importance placed on sightseeing; natural area activities; cultural, arts and heritage activities; and adventure activities. Not correlated with VFR, visit Grand Canyon, entertainment, shopping, sports, golf, resort stays, business. Same is true with value placed on green practices except it also is correlated with entertainment. Seems it is the outdoor recreation tourists that favor green practices.

11. Motives Highest motive correlations (higher to lower) found between perceptions of value of green practices and learning about the natural environment, experiencing nature, being physically active, viewing scenery. Highest motive correlations (higher to lower): found between importance of environ- mentally friendly practices and being physically active, experiencing nature, and learning about the natural environment. Similarly, nature tourists are those to whom green practices matter the most.

12. Discussion There are high levels of importance and value placed on environmentally friendly practices at tourism and recreation businesses. Tourists motivated by nature experiences had more positive views of environmentally responsible practices. Are younger and less likely to be married. Others have suggested a generation gap, politically correct, or socially desirable?

13. Most of the green practices are in place in Arizona at limited sites. Visitors’ perceptions have not been documented. Visitors place value on such practices, but visitors motivated by nature experiences do so to a greater extent. (but are not aware of many being practiced) Suggests visitors are supportive of such measures and operators should take into account when planning.