Beyond good intentions: Tourism as a driver of Emotion & Philanthropic Behaviour change

Building upon the success of my book, Arctic Reflections (Tomac., Hehir. 2013) this inter-disciplinary research bridges my passion for environmental psychology and years of experience as a researcher in behavioural economics for Britain's National Tourist Board. Climate change for some provides a rationale to visit areas, like polar regions, before they disappear (Dawson et al., 2011), but the act of travelling to threatened areas raises the spectre of tourists loving an already dying destination to an early death. The academic assessment of the benefits of the new and rapidly growing niche market for last chance tourism (Lemelin et al., 2010) is contradictory and limited: an understanding of what tourist experiences can close the attitude-behaviour gap and drive behaviour change is currently missing from current research (Hall et al, 2015; Miller et al., 2010). Partnering with leading tour operators and international wildlife charities, this study uses mixed methods (surveys and interviews) to understand whether travelling leads to increases in conservation-oriented philanthropy. Outcomes of knowing how people's relationships with nature form and what behavioural implications they may have could provide critical insight into how destinations can effectively meet conservation goals (Richardson et al., 2016) and facilitate greater collaboration between the tour operator and non-profit sectors.

The following research objectives have been developed in consultation with members of the tourism industry and conservation organisations:
1 Identify and critique the key factors underpinning emotional connections to nature and wildlife within the tourist experience.
2 Evaluate the forms of actual pro-environmental behaviour change that subsequently result over time from the emotional connections to nature experienced in tourism.
3 Investigate the extent to which time (after visiting) dilutes tourists' emotions towards a place, environmental action or endangered species.
4 Investigate the correlation between emotional connection to nature and philanthropic behaviour.
5 Determine the extent to which 'last chance travel destinations' and/or encounters with endangered animals in the wild, increase tourists' long-term philanthropic behaviour.

A sample of recent wildlife travellers (including polar tourists) who also regularly donate will be surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire, sequentially followed by in-depth interviews using a heterogenous purposive sampling technique. Respondents' travel patterns, donation history and levels of connections to nature will be collated to assess the value of travelling to conservation. Structural equation modelling will be used to test participants' relationships between the following multiple variables; the last chance travel experience (e.g. onsite activities, species seen, destination's beauty), connections to nature and philanthropic behaviour.

My experience as a researcher within industry and past academic work, which includes an award-winning MSc dissertation, 'The future of Antarctica. Is tourism an ally or an enemy?' and more recent publications like the British Council's 'Action for the Arctic' report in addition to my book, are evidence of my commitment to this subject and my existing mixed methods research skill set required to complete this PhD within 3 years.