Sustainability values and carbon offset willingness among UK tourists: a values-based segmentation study

Many tourists support sustainability, but sustainable tourism markets are not homogeneous. This paper reports the results of a study on whether sustainability values can be used to segment UK tourists and whether the resulting segments differ in global warming concern and stated willingness to pay for carbon offsets. Survey data were collected from 560 UK tourists at four locations. Sustainability-value domains were first identified and then used to classify respondents into value-based segments. The analysis retained four domains: respect for nature, social equity and solidarity, tolerance, and shared responsibility. Two interpretable segments were identified. Tourists in the higher- sustainability-values segment reported stronger global warming concern and greater willingness to pay for carbon offsets than tourists in the moderate segment. However, willingness to pay was not universal even among tourists with stronger sustainability values. The findings suggest that values-based segmentation can help identify more receptive audiences for carbon-offset initiatives, but values-based targeting should be supported by credible, transparent, and easy-to-evaluate offset schemes.