This paper reports the results of two exploratory studies (overall N=532) which aimed at drawing the profile of the “sustainable tourist” (a person committed to respect the sustainability principles when on holiday) in terms of personal values, attitudes, and personality traits, following an environmental psychology approach. More specifically, study 1 explored the role of attitudes toward sustainable tourism, affinity toward (social and environmental) diversity, and personal values, while study 2 assessed the role of the Big Five personality traits in the prediction of preferences for sustainable and unsustainable tourist activities. Results indicate that biospheric values, positive attitudes toward sustainable tourism, and higher levels of affinity toward diversity are able to predict more sustainable tourism choices while personality traits seemed to play a more indirect and complex role.

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Ecotourism in natural protected areas is receiving growing international recognition as a means to enhance sustainability. Nonetheless, research on ecotourism and, in particular, on young ecotourists segmentation is still scarce. This study aimed at segmenting the market of young tourists using a range of psychosociological factors. First, a sample of 365 young tourists was segmented on the basis of holiday motivations (considered driving factors of attitudes and behaviors). Second, each group identified was characterized by a consistent set of other psychosociological variables, such as personality traits, personal values, general environmental beliefs, and behavioral variables (ecotourism behavioral intentions and consumption habits). The results show that about 80% of the sample would be open to the ecotourism, and different communication strategies for promoting ecotourism for different segments of potential ecotourists are also proposed.

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