Sustainable Tourism Attitude Scale

What it measures

Measures attitudes toward the principles and practices of sustainable tourism across five dimensions aligned with WTO/UNEP sustainable tourism frameworks. Used by DMOs and policy researchers to assess community and tourist support for sustainable tourism initiatives.

Response format

Likert (1–5, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

Conservation — support for protecting natural and cultural resources (Likert 1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

• Tourism development should preserve the natural environment.
• Protected areas should be maintained even if it limits tourism growth.
• Tourism development should conserve local cultural heritage.
• Natural resources should not be overexploited for tourism purposes.
• I support tourism that minimises damage to the environment.

Economic Development — support for tourism's economic benefits

• Tourism should create employment opportunities for local residents.
• Tourism revenue should be reinvested in the local community.
• Local people should benefit economically from tourism.
• Tourism development should support local businesses.
• Tourism should help reduce poverty in local communities.

Sustainable Development — balancing development and conservation

• Tourism development should be planned to sustain resources for future generations.
• The pace of tourism development should be managed carefully.
• Tourism should be developed in an environmentally sustainable manner.
• Long-term sustainability should be prioritised over short-term tourism profits.
• Tourism planning should integrate environmental and social considerations.

Equitable Distribution — fair sharing of tourism benefits

• Tourism benefits should be distributed fairly among local residents.
• All members of the host community should benefit from tourism.
• Tourism development decisions should involve local residents.
• Local residents should have a say in how tourism is managed.
• Tourism policies should address the needs of all community members.

Visitor Management — controlling tourist behaviour

• Visitor numbers should be limited to protect destinations.
• Tourists should be educated about appropriate behaviour.
• Tourism facilities should be designed to minimise crowding.
• Peak season visitor numbers should be managed.
• Tourist codes of conduct should be enforced.

Community Wellbeing — preserving quality of life for residents

• Tourism development should not disrupt the lives of local residents.
• Residents' opinions about tourism should be respected.
• The cultural values and traditions of the host community should be preserved.
• Tourism should enhance rather than diminish residents' quality of life.
• Local residents should retain control over their cultural heritage.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Five subscale scores. Conservation and Environmental Management attitudes are most strongly associated with responsible tourist behaviour intentions. Institutional dimension scores are typically lowest.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Choi, H.C., & Sirakaya, E. (2005). Measuring residents' attitude toward sustainable tourism: Development of sustainable tourism attitude scale. Journal of Travel Research, 43(4), 380–394.

Keywords