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A University of Queensland study has found that being in “holiday mode” can temporarily make tourists less environmentally responsible, even though their core environmental values remain unchanged.
Researchers identified a phenomenon known as “vacation place identity”, a psychological state that emerges when people travel, or even when they mentally step into a holiday setting. This identity contrasts with “home place identity”, which is grounded in routine, responsibility and long-term emotional connection.
PhD candidate Dorine von Briel from UQ’s Business School says this temporary identity shift helps explain why even environmentally conscious travellers tend to waste more and conserve less while away from home. Across three studies, participants consistently described themselves as less environmentally responsible on holiday than when at home.
Tourism is responsible for almost nine per cent of global carbon emissions, yet traditional sustainability messages aimed at travellers have had limited success. The research suggests this may be because interventions are often delivered when the vacation mindset is already dominant.
Asked about what destinations such as New Zealand could do differently before visitors arrive, Dorine says, “Our research suggests that the effectiveness of sustainability interventions can be improved by focusing on when tourists are targeted, not just what they are told. Across our studies, we find that travellers do not abandon their environmental values on vacation. Instead, once the vacation mindset becomes salient, they temporarily report lower environmental responsibility. This distinction matters. Interventions introduced before travel begins reach people while their everyday sense of environmental responsibility remains active. At that stage, sustainable choices align with how people normally see themselves. For destinations like New Zealand, this points to a new and underused opportunity to encourage sustainable behaviour before arrival,” she says.
Turning to the challenges and opportunities of long-haul travel, Dorine says, “Long-haul travel tends to increase not only physical distance from home, but also psychological distance. Once visitors arrive, this separation can make sustainability interventions less effective, because travel feels like a clear break from everyday obligations. At the same time, long-haul trips typically involve extended planning periods. These periods matter. Our research shows that environmental responsibility is highest when people are still anchored in their home place identity, which is most salient before departure. For long-haul destinations, this creates a longer window for influence during planning and booking. The greatest leverage for destinations like New Zealand sits weeks or months before arrival, rather than at the destination itself,” Dorine says.
Pointing to real-world examples of this approach, Dorine says, “Yes. Our field study with DOMA Hotel provides a concrete example. In three Little National Hotels in Australia, guests have the option to opt into a Lower Emissions Room at the booking stage. The room reduces environmental impact by limiting resource-intensive services on a voluntary basis. Crucially, guests made this decision from home. By the time the stay began, no additional prompting is needed. This approach avoids competing with the vacation mindset and requires no complex investment or marketing campaign. It shows how embedding sustainability into pre-travel decisions can increase uptake of environmentally friendly behaviours,” she says.
