From Intent to Action

What stops sustainable travel intentions from becoming action?

Travelers say they want to make green choices. What is stopping them? New research shows that making it easy for travelers to behave well is critical for even the most committed responsible travelers.

Zhang et al. (2025) investigated the “intention–behavior gap”, using a two-step modeling approach with over 2,300 survey responses, and  found that the gap between green travel intentions (GTI) and green travel behaviors (GTB) is shaped less by attitudes and more by contextual and practical factors. 

Even people with the best intentions to travel responsibly can be derailed when things get in the way. Lack of convenience, extra time or cost, distance are just some of the things that can get in the way of the best laid plans. 

On the other hand, even people who didn’t intend to be responsible travelers will do the right thing if it is easy and convenient. 

Understanding ways to bridge the gap between what visitors intend to do and what they actually do is crucial for destinations aiming to advance sustainable tourism.

This study shows us that just raising awareness alone is not enough. A campaign that champions sustainability must be paired with reducing barriers like making eco-options easily available and affordable. They should also use community influence and pressure from peers to engage less motivated groups. When tailoring strategies to different groups of people, destinations could close the gap between intention and behavior, turning intentions into measurable action.

The study can be found here.

Zhang, Y., Xiang, C., Huang, Y., Du, Q., Mao, Y., & Lu, H. (2025). Understanding the intention-behavior gap in sustainable travel: a two-step approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2025.2475917