The awareness/attitude-gap in sustainable tourism: a theoretical perspective

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the widely recognized awareness/attitude-gap in sustainable tourism and discuss a series of theoretical approaches on three levels: individual, interpersonal and community level theories. Design/methodology/approach - These theories are linked to existing studies on tourists' awareness/attitude and behavior in relation to climate change in order to assess which type of theory explains the gap best and which may be the most useful in bridging the gap. Findings - The paper argues that, although individual level theories offer the best explanation of the awareness/attitude-gap, community level theories may offer the best solution. Originality/value - The paper has important relevance for academic researchers who intend to study the awareness/attitude gap in a tourist setting.