Why Morning Matters for Sustainable Travel

New research is showing that the time of day a tourist engages with nature influences their willingness to act sustainably. 

Zou et al. studied how guests’ circadian rhythms can affect their pro-environmental intention at a destination. Specifically, across five experiments, they compared morning vs. evening contexts and found stronger pro-environmental intention when tourists were engaged early in the day.  

In the morning people often show higher self-control and feel a greater connection with nature. This boosts pro-environmental intentions. This is in contrast to the evening, when there is greater fatigue and distraction, resulting in reduced pro-environmental intentions. 

This matters for destinations looking to maximize sustainable behaviors. Now they know the clock is ticking. It’s not just about the content of what you promote; it is also about when you promote it. 

Practitioners can utilize this fresh research from this study by,

• Designing tours and activities in the morning to promote pro-environmental behavior, messaging, and cues
• Training front-line staff to put pro-environmental cues early in the guests’ visit rather than waiting until later
• Monitoring guests’ levels of energy and when they are most fatigued. Then figure out when cues would be best received and plan accordingly. 

Timing isn’t just about scheduling; it can also be a psychological lever to deliver more sustainable outcomes. DMOs and tour operators can make sustainable options not only possible but also more appealing. 

The study can be found here.

Zou, R., Lu, L., Hua, M., Sun, X., & Si, M. (2025). Timing nature’s call: how circadian rhythms affect tourists’ pro-environmental intention. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1–27. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/10.1080/09669582.2025.2539281