A "nudge" towards sustainability
How can travelers be motivated to travel more sustainably? In the frame of the joint project between Futouris and Tourism Ireland Germany a concept for using effective “nudging” methods to successfully communicate sustainable travel offers in Ireland was developed and tested in practice. The results were summarised in a practical guideline.
Project goals
- Raising awareness among (German) travelers for sustainable travel offers in Ireland.
- Creating a common understanding of sustainability in tourism and sustainability certifications
- Visualization of sustainable travel offers in Ireland.
- Strengthening Ireland’s position as a sustainable destination in collaboration with international tour operators.
The term ‘sustainability’
The almost inflationary use of the term ‘sustainability’ is increasingly met with criticism and leaves many people skeptical about it. Travel offers never offer 100% sustainability, but offer an alternative with a conscious focus on this is no longer enough. Describing a trip as “sustainable” is not enough. Instead, other methods are needed to make travelers aware of sustainable holiday offers and encourage them to book. The ‘nudging’ method has proven to be particularly effective in “nudging” people toward positive behavior.
Which communication methods can motivate travelers to use more sustainable offers?
As part of the joint project by Futouris and Tourism Ireland Germany, the question of which communication methods can be used to sensitize Irish travelers to the destination’s commitment to more sustainability and to motivate them to use climate-friendly offers was analysed. A concept for the use of effective “nudging” methods for the successful communication of sustainable travel offers in Ireland was developed and tested in practice.
Effective nudges range from transparent additional information in the booking tool to raise awareness of greener travel options, to carbon footprint comparisons of selected means of transport, to adjusting pre-selected standard options when booking.
The results were summarized in a practical guide for effective sustainability communication. The focus is on the principle of ‘nudging’, meaning small, targeted impulses that intuitively encourage people to adopt more environmentally friendly behavior.
To the guidelineWhat does ‘Nudging’ mean?
‘Nudging’ is a communication method that aims to influence human decision-making behavior without prescribing or restricting certain behaviors. With “nudges,” people can be encouraged towards a more sustainable travel behavior, for example.
Project activities
The following activities were implemented
- Analysis of the status quo with regard to existing sustainable travel offers and communication measures used,
- Analysis and development of concrete nudging methods,
- Establishing criteria for measuring success,
- Testing the developed nudging methods in Tourism Ireland’s social media channels and newsletters,
- Evaluation of the nudges used based on the previously defined criteria
- Summary of the results in a practical guideline
Overview
Hide Facts
Location
IrelandSupervisor
Project Start
01.10.2023Project End
31.12.2024Project Partner
response & abilityShare Project
Tatjana Peters
Project manager
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