Environmentally responsible consumption by rural tourists in Rio Grande do Sul—Brazil

Abstract

<p>Rural tourism consists of leisure activities in a non-urban environment. The interest in rural tourism has been growing significantly since the 1990s, as well as the rural establishments that started to offer some tourist products in rural areas. Rural tourism fosters environmental practices and can influence environmentally responsible behavior. Thus, this study aimed to identify the environmentally responsible consumption practices carried out by rural tourists. To this end, the research has a quantitative approach, made possible through a questionnaire applied to 103 rural tourists. Data collection took place between 26 November 2020, and 13 March 2021, and the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. The main results showed that rural tourists prefer passive resources, where the tourist is a mere spectator and are motivated by recreationist, as they prefer moments of contemplation and relaxation for physical and mental recovery. In addition, rural tourists consider themselves altruistic, a behavior where the decision to act pro-environmentally is based on the costs and benefits perceived by their peers. However, they do not necessarily have sustainable behavior.</p>