Examining the Impact of Demographics, Travel Patterns, and Awareness on Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Preservation in Coastal Karnataka
Abstract
This study explores the influence of demographic factors, travel patterns, and knowledge on sustainable tourism practices and cultural preservation in coastal Karnataka. The research examines how variables such as age, income, education, and gender shape tourists' engagement in environmentally responsible behaviours and their support for cultural conservation initiatives. The findings highlight those younger tourists, particularly from Generation Z, exhibit stronger preferences for sustainable practices, while higher income groups are more likely to afford eco-friendly options. Additionally, educational background and gender differences contribute significantly to varying levels of awareness and participation in sustainable tourism. The study also underscores the importance of community-based tourism (CBT) in fostering both environmental and cultural preservation, with a particular emphasis on the role of local communities and tourists in these efforts. The implications of these findings are valuable for developing targeted strategies to promote sustainable tourism and enhance the preservation of coastal heritage. These results offer important insights for policymakers and tourism stakeholders seeking to create more inclusive and effective approaches to sustainable tourism development.
References
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[3] Banerjee, A., Satish, A., & Wörndl, W. (2024). Enhancing Tourism Recommender Systems for Sustainable City Trips Using Retrieval Augmented Generation. In Communications in Computer and Information Science: Recommender Systems for Sustainability and Social Good, pp. 19–34. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2409.18003
[4] Benson, A., Hu, M., & Deng, Y. (2018). Understanding the effects of income on sustainable tourism behaviors. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(8), 1442–1461. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2018.1474191
[5] Boley, B. B., Strzelecka, M., & Woosnam, K. M. (2021). The role of knowledge in shaping sustainable tourism behaviors. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(6), 835–850. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1895681
[6] Buhalis, D., & Amaranggana, A. (2013). Smart tourism destinations. In Z. Xiang & I. Tussyadiah (Eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2014, pp. 553–564. Springer International Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03973-2_40
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[8] Capucho, J., Leitão, J., & Alves, H. (2025). Mapping and linking well-being, tourism economics, sustainable tourism and sustainable development: An integrative systematisation of the literature and bibliometric analysis. Discover Sustainability, 6, Article 291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01122-y
[9] Chang, R. (2023). Iceland is implementing a tourism tax—here's what that means for travelers. Condé Nast Traveler. Available at: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/iceland-implementing-tourism-tax
[10] Çifçi, H., Boz, S., & Demirkol, Ş. (2024). The Nexuses between Community Attachment, Tourism Support, and Cultural Heritage Protection in the Bektashi Faith Destination: The Roles of Perceived Tourism Impacts and Residency Length. Journal of Economy Culture and Society, 70. DOI: 10.26650/JECS2024-1404196
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[12] de Lega, A., & Smith, J. (2024). Adoption of environmental technologies in hotels: Exploring sustainable intelligence and guest pro environmental behavior. Discover Sustainability, 5. DOI: 10.1007/s43621-024-00270-x
[13] Farsari, I. (2023). Exploring the nexus between sustainable tourism governance, resilience and complexity research. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(3), 352-367. DOI: 10.1080/02508281.2021.1922828
[14] Gössling, S., Hall, C. M., & Scott, D. (2019). The challenges of tourism and sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(1), 1–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1523982
[15] Hadinejad, A., Moyle, B., Scott, N., Kralj, A., & Nunkoo, R. (2019). Residents’ attitudes to tourism: A review. Tourism Review, 74(2), 157–172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TR 01 2018 0003
[16] Hall, C. M. (2022). Sustainable tourism beyond BAU (Brundtlund as Usual): Shifting from paradoxical to relational thinking. Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism, 1. DOI: 10.3389/frsut.2022.927946
[17] Hansen, T., Olk, S., & Thomsen, T. U. (2024). A meta-analysis of sustainable tourist behavioral intention and the moderating effects of national culture. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(5), 883-903. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2023.2186825
[18] Hernandez, J., Timmermans, H., & Van den Berg, S. (2021). Tourism and community engagement: The role of community-based tourism in sustainable development. Journal of Tourism Research, 49(4), 587–601. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102840
[19] Jo, Y., Kim, M. J., Yoon, Y.-S., & Hall, C. M. (2025). Tourism green growth through technological innovation: Evidence from global panel data using STIRPAT. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2025.2482675 ResearchGate
[20] Karataş, M., Çifçi, H., Kaya, E., & Aydemir, A. (2025). Community engagement and heritage awareness for the sustainable management of rural and coastal archaeological heritage sites: The case of Magarsus. Sustainability, 17(12), 5302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125302
[21] Lima-Vargas, A. E., Martínez-González, O., Geronimo-Cruz, J., & Lima-Vargas, S. (2024). Sustainable behavior of Generation Z tourists’ water consumption. Sustainability, 16(22), 9651. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229651
[22] Ma, Y., Li, Y., & Han, F. (2024). Interconnected Eco-Consciousness: Gen Z Travelers' Intentions toward Low-Carbon Transportation and Hotels. Sustainability, 16(15). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156559
[23] Malik, A., Abrar, D., Khan, N. A., & Alhussami, A. M. (2025). Sustainable development goals: Students’ perception on quality education, gender equality, and sustainability. Discover Sustainability, 6, Article 410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01288-5
[24] Miller, G., & Boudry, S. (2020). Gender differences in sustainable tourism practices: A comparison of male and female environmental awareness. Tourism Management Perspectives, 34, 100676. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100676
[25] Mukherjee, S., Chowdhury, M., & Das, M. K. (2025). Trends, challenges, and future directions of sustainable tourism: A systematic literature review. In M. K. Das (Ed.), Trends, challenges, and future directions of sustainable tourism. Taylor & Francis. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003559344-15
[26] Nunkoo, R., Sharma, A., Rana, N. P., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Sunnassee, V. A. (2024). Four decades of sustainable tourism research: Trends and future research opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. Advance online publication. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2643
[27] Olivar, K. G., Bulac, C. J. A., Genovia, R. M., & Sarip, N. D. (2023). The Influence of Ecotourism Performance on Quality Tourism Experience and Sustainable Consciousness. International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 10(2), 01–07. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18510/ijthr.2023.1021
[28] Prayag, G., Choi, H. S., & McGehee, N. G. (2022). Generation Z and sustainable tourism: Understanding the travel behaviors of young, eco-conscious tourists. Journal of Travel Research, 61(8), 1053–1070. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211005347
[29] Ramaano, A. I. (2025). Toward tourism-oriented community-based natural resource management for sustainability and climate change mitigation leadership in rural municipalities. Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, 7(2), 107–131. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JHASS-07-2024-0099
[30] Reddy, K., & Sailesh, B. (2024). Cultural guardianship in tourism: Indigenous communities’ quest for economic stability and identity preservation. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, 15(2), 328–337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v15.2(74).08
[31] Reisinger, Y., & Mavondo, F. T. (2020). Cultural preservation and tourism: The role of community engagement in sustainable tourism initiatives. Tourism Management Perspectives, 35, 100684. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100684
[32] Serio, R. G., Giuliani, D. G., Dickson, M. M., & Espa, G. (2025). Going green across boundaries: Spatial effects of environmental policies on tourism flows. arXiv. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03608
[33] Seyfi, S., Hall, C. M., & Lin, P. M. (2023). Tourism, sustainable practices, and the role of younger generations: Insights into Generation Z’s travel behavior. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 47(1), 49–67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221134890
[34] Timothy, D. J., & Teye, V. B. (2018). Community-based tourism and sustainable development: The case for local participation. Tourism Management, 65, 273–285. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.10.003
[35] Tran, D. V., Nguyen, D. M., & Nguyen, T. N. (2024). Fostering green customer citizenship behavioural intentions through green hotel practices: the roles of pride, moral elevation, and hotel star ratings. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2024.2367513
[36] Wang, C., & Li, Y. (2018). Educational attainment and sustainable tourism behaviors: A global perspective. Tourism Management, 65, 161–171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.09.010
[37] Wang, X., Huang, Y., & Huang, K. (2024). How does social entrepreneurship achieve sustainable development goals in rural tourism destinations? The role of legitimacy and social capital. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(3), 450–468. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2024.2309546
[38] Wang, Y., Chen, H., & Zhang, L. (2018). The role of education in promoting sustainable tourism behaviors. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 42(7), 1123–1145. DOI: 10.1177/1096348018760293
[39] Woolcock, M., & Narayan, D. (2024). Urban community-based tourism development: A networked social capital model. Annals of Tourism Research, 106, 103759. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103759
[40] Zhang, Y., & Deng, B. (2024). Exploring the nexus of smart technologies and sustainable ecotourism: A systematic review. Heliyon, 10(11), e31996. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31996
[41] Booking.com. (2024). 2024 sustainable travel report (Global survey of 31,000 travelers). Booking.com via Transition Pathways European tourism platform. Available at: https://transition-pathways.europa.eu/knowledge-documents/bookingcom-report-2024-sustainable-travel-trends
[42] European Union. (2025). EU green policy reforms impacting tourism frameworks [Editorial summary]. Transition Pathways. Available at: https://transition-pathways.europa.eu/articles/how-eus-2024-green-policies-are-reshaping-tourism-share-your-views-online-discussion
[43] OECD. (2024). OECD tourism trends and policies 2024. OECD Publishing. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1787/80885d8b-en
[44] UNWTO. (2020). Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals – Journey to 2030. World Tourism Organization. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284421790
[45] World Economic Forum. (2025). Future of travel and tourism: Embracing sustainable and inclusive growth. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Travel_and_Tourism_2025.pdf
Published
2025-08-29
How to Cite
SAILESH, Bhaskar; NAYANI, Nagarjun.
Examining the Impact of Demographics, Travel Patterns, and Awareness on Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Preservation in Coastal Karnataka.
Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, [S.l.], v. 16, n. 3, p. 264 - 278, aug. 2025.
ISSN 2068-7729.
Available at: <https://journals.aserspublishing.eu/jemt/article/view/9065>. Date accessed: 29 sep. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v16.3(79).07.
Section
Article
Copyright© 2025 The Author(s). Published by ASERS Publishing 2025. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of CC-BY 4.0 license.