Climate Change, Discretionary Air Travel, and the “Flyers’ Dilemma”

Abstract

Abstract:The 'flyers' dilemma' describes the tension that now exists between the personal benefits of tourism and the climate concerns associated with high levels of personal aeromobility. This article presents the first international comparative analysis of attitudes towards climate change and discretionary air travel, providing insights into areas of convergence and divergence across three European societies -Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany. Employing a critical interpretive approach and drawing upon 48 indepth semi-structured interviews, we document evidence of widespread neglect of the 'flyers' dilemma'. Our comparative analysis confirms that although current discretionary air travel practices are deeply embedded and resistent to change, attitudes towards the climate crisis and barriers to behaviour change offer points of important contrast between different societies. Efforts to reformulate excessive discretionary air travel in response to accelerating global climate change must accommodate the unique issues and contrasting perspectives that exist in sections of these socieites.

Intentions to make sustainable tourism choices: do value orientations, time perspective, and efficacy beliefs explain individual differences?

“…Studies indicate that calls for collective action are reoccurring themes in consumer discourses on sustainable tourism mobility (Higham et al, 2014;Miller et al, 2010). As far we know, only one study considered collective efficacy (as described above) for tourism choices with different environmental implications.…”

“…On the other hand, if everybody avoids taking environmental issues into account when flying, there is an opportunity cost to this in that global greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow, accumulating to potentially negative consequences for all members of society including oneself. This exemplifies some of the tensions that can arise when private and collective interests are considered in the tourism domain; a phenomenon that has been discussed particularly in regard to air travel decisions and climate concerns (Higham, Cohen, & Cavaliere, 2014). This paper is located within work on the psychological characteristics of those willing to take environmental issues into account when choosing among different tourism alternatives (e.g.…”

Flying in the face of environmental concern: why green consumers continue to fly

“…Flying decisions have been selected for two main reasons: firstly, they are notoriously contentious for green consumers and resistant to change (Higham, Cohen, & Cavaliere, 2014); and secondly, because while they are decisions accessible to a wide range of individuals, they are not high frequency, habitual decisions for most. Thus by asking individuals to discuss their decisions to fly or not to fly we expect to find narratives located within the attitude-behaviour gap.…”

“…A body of literature continues to grow around expressed concerns with the contribution that air travel has on CO 2 emissions and climate change (Becken, 2007;Brand & Boardman, 2008;Gössling & Upham, 2009;Hares, Dickinson, & Wilkes, 2010). Simultaneously literature grows around consumer awareness of climate change issues (Higham & Cohen, 2011;KhooLattimore & Prideaux, 2013) and the fact that there are few signs of behaviour change amongst even the most environmentally aware travellers (Barr, Shaw, Coles & Prillwitz, 2010;Higham et al, 2014). In fact, both Barr et al (2010) and Böhler, Grischkat, Haustein, and Hunecke (2006) found that the greenest individuals were the most frequent long-haul (air) travellers.…”

“…They are caught between two competing travel ideals ("the flying dilemma" Higham et al, 2014) and policymakers have handed them the responsibility for arbitrating between them. This situation has the potential to create significant tensions if green consumers pursue normative vacation desires whilst holding anti-air travel ideals.…”