Journal of Sustainable Tourism

The concepts of ‘eco-guilt’ and ‘eco-shame’ are now well established in the broad environmental discourse, both scholarly and public. It is surprising, however, that both phenomena are yet to be explicitly broached in tourism studies. Using data from digital forums, this article unpacks the phenomena as they arise in tourism consumption contexts. The findings illustrate that consumers participating in online environmental discussion forums feel varying degrees of guilt and personal responsibility in relation to the negative impacts of tourism, with most keen to make environmentally friendly travel decisions. Despite these good intentions, however, it seems a range of barriers hinder the adoption of environmentally-responsible behaviours. This supports a growing body of literature stating that positive intentions do not necessarily result in environmental action. Nonetheless, the analysis points to an emerging global eco-guilt/shame culture in tourism contexts, with important implications for how we frame messages to ensure sustainable futures for physical and socio-cultural environments.

Eco-guilt and eco-shame in tourism consumption contexts: understanding the triggers and responses