Abstract
Wildlife tourism attractions such as zoos are uniquely placed to make an impact on people’s everyday environmentally responsible behaviors. However, research suggests that visitors who leave such sites with a heightened awareness and good intentions rarely translate their intentions into post-visit environmental actions. This article reports on the development of a website-based action resource designed to reinforce, complement, and extend zoos’ on-site conservation messages and support visitors’ translation of environmental behavioral intentions into actions. The effectiveness of the website in encouraging post-visit engagement in environmental behavior was tested using an experimental design with a follow-up sample of 475 zoo visitors across four sites in three countries. The group that had accessed the website scored significantly higher on a behavior change index than the group that had not accessed the website. Website features identified as most effective in engaging visitors and maximizing their uptake of environmentally sustainable behavior are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 98-120 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Visitor Studies |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 14 Dec 2018 |
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Post-visit reinforcement of zoo conservation messages: the design and testing of an action resource website. / Ballantyne, Roy; Packer, Jan; Hughes, Karen; Gill, Chelsea.
In: Visitor Studies, Vol. 21, No. 1, 14.12.2018, p. 98-120.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Post-visit reinforcement of zoo conservation messages: the design and testing of an action resource website
AU - Ballantyne, Roy
AU - Packer, Jan
AU - Hughes, Karen
AU - Gill, Chelsea
PY - 2018/12/14
Y1 - 2018/12/14
N2 - Wildlife tourism attractions such as zoos are uniquely placed to make an impact on people’s everyday environmentally responsible behaviors. However, research suggests that visitors who leave such sites with a heightened awareness and good intentions rarely translate their intentions into post-visit environmental actions. This article reports on the development of a website-based action resource designed to reinforce, complement, and extend zoos’ on-site conservation messages and support visitors’ translation of environmental behavioral intentions into actions. The effectiveness of the website in encouraging post-visit engagement in environmental behavior was tested using an experimental design with a follow-up sample of 475 zoo visitors across four sites in three countries. The group that had accessed the website scored significantly higher on a behavior change index than the group that had not accessed the website. Website features identified as most effective in engaging visitors and maximizing their uptake of environmentally sustainable behavior are discussed.
AB - Wildlife tourism attractions such as zoos are uniquely placed to make an impact on people’s everyday environmentally responsible behaviors. However, research suggests that visitors who leave such sites with a heightened awareness and good intentions rarely translate their intentions into post-visit environmental actions. This article reports on the development of a website-based action resource designed to reinforce, complement, and extend zoos’ on-site conservation messages and support visitors’ translation of environmental behavioral intentions into actions. The effectiveness of the website in encouraging post-visit engagement in environmental behavior was tested using an experimental design with a follow-up sample of 475 zoo visitors across four sites in three countries. The group that had accessed the website scored significantly higher on a behavior change index than the group that had not accessed the website. Website features identified as most effective in engaging visitors and maximizing their uptake of environmentally sustainable behavior are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058667846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10645578.2018.1503871
DO - 10.1080/10645578.2018.1503871
M3 - Article
VL - 21
SP - 98
EP - 120
JO - Visitor Studies
JF - Visitor Studies
SN - 1064-5578
IS - 1
ER -