Perceptions and Behaviors Concerning Tourism Degrowth and Sustainable Tourism: Latent Dimensions and Types of Tourists

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article suggests a current and attractive topic for the academy. The effort made is evident, but it requires profound adjustments, I hope you find the following observations helpful:

1.     Please add more keywords so search engines will discover your publication more.

2.     The paragraph on lines 59-63 needs references

3.     revision of colouring in Figures 1-3 is needed because the legends are difficult to distinguish.

4.     Although Factor analysis does not require an initial hypothesis to be conducted, you must explain the origin of why you use each component and variable in Table 1. Explain with justification and references so that your research model can be replicated.

I’m excited about the potential of your paper and think additional data work may help you define your contribution to the literature. I wish you all the best as you continue your work.

 

Author Response

Reviewer 1:

The article suggests a current and attractive topic for the academy. The effort made is evident, but it requires profound adjustments, I hope you find the following observations helpful:

1. Please add more keywords so search engines will discover your publication more.

Authors: Thank you for your suggestion. We have added the keywords “Tourism growth limitations,” “Overtourism,” and “Responsible travel practices” to improve search engine discoverability.

2. The paragraph on lines 59-63 needs references

Authors: Thank you for highlighting this. We have now included the appropriate reference, Fletcher et al., 2019, to support the paragraph on lines 59-63

3. revision of colouring in Figures 1-3 is needed because the legends are difficult to distinguish.
4. Although Factor analysis does not require an initial hypothesis to be conducted, you must explain the origin of why you use each component and variable in Table 1. Explain with justification and references so that your research model can be replicated.

Authors: Thank you for highlighting the need for a more detailed explanation of each component and variable in Table 1. We have now provided justifications for our selection, referencing relevant literature to clarify the theoretical basis and enhance replicability. Each factor in the model - ranging from sustainability on travel planning to economic growth alignment - is supported by research on sustainable tourism and degrowth. This additional detail can be found in page 11-12 (lines 456-489) and ensures that our research model can be clearly understood and effectively replicated in future studies.

I’m excited about the potential of your paper and think additional data work may help you define your contribution to the literature. I wish you all the best as you continue your work.

Authors: Thank you!

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors, you are considering an important topic: the ratio of sustainable development of tourism and the preservation of natural and other cultural heritage in places of active tourist arrivals. (If I understood your idea correctly.)

That is, sustainable tourism involves the rational organization of the tourism business. I agree that we often have a negative experience in this direction, when in pursuit of profit, tourist organizations attract a large number of tourists, but the tourist region is not able to accept them.

But I believe that this conclusion should be more clearly spelled out in the article. Your article is overloaded with theoretical material only page10 the first table appears. On page 12 - Figure. It may be to shorten the description of the study, focus on the analysis of the results obtained.

It would also be nice to add statistics on the arrival of tourists in the region mentioned in the study.

I advise you to finalize the article. Although the material is interesting.

Author Response

Reviewer 2:

Dear authors, you are considering an important topic: the ratio of sustainable development of tourism and the preservation of natural and other cultural heritage in places of active tourist arrivals. (If I understood your idea correctly.)

That is, sustainable tourism involves the rational organization of the tourism business. I agree that we often have a negative experience in this direction, when in pursuit of profit, tourist organizations attract a large number of tourists, but the tourist region is not able to accept them. But I believe that this conclusion should be more clearly spelled out in the article.

Authors: Thank you for your insightful feedback. We have incorporated the following statement into the conclusion (page 21, lines 762-770) to clarify our stance on sustainable tourism and the need for a rational organization within the tourism industry:

“In line with sustainable tourism principles, it is essential to emphasize the rational organization of tourism businesses to prevent the negative impacts associated with overtourism. Often, in pursuit of profit, tourist organizations attract volumes of visitors that exceed the capacity of the destination to sustain them, leading to environmental degradation, resource strain, and diminished quality of life for residents. This study’s findings support the conclusion that a more structured, balanced approach to tourism is crucial, prioritizing sustainable limits over unchecked growth. This reinforces the importance of implementing sustainable practices within the tourism industry to align visitor numbers with the capacity of the destination.”

Your article is overloaded with theoretical material only page10 the first table appears. On page 12 - Figure. It may be to shorten the description of the study, focus on the analysis of the results obtained.

Authors: In response, we have revised the entire literature review section to streamline the theoretical content, reducing detail where possible to maintain focus on the study’s main contributions and findings. This revision ensures that the theoretical material supports the analysis without overwhelming it, allowing for a clearer emphasis on the results and their implications. We appreciate your suggestion, as it has helped us improve the overall clarity and flow of the paper.

It would also be nice to add statistics on the arrival of tourists in the region mentioned in the study.

Authors: Thank you for the suggestion. We carefully considered adding statistics specific to tourist arrivals in Brazil; however, we decided not to include this data, as it may lead to a misinterpretation of the study’s objectives. The focus of this research is not on tourism trends within Brazil specifically; rather, Brazil emerged as the predominant demographic group in our sample due to the data collection process. This demographic concentration is acknowledged as a limitation, but it does not reflect an intended focus on Brazilian tourism statistics. Including such data might unintentionally suggest a regional specificity in our research objectives, which could impact the interpretation of our sampling approach and the study’s broader scope.

I advise you to finalize the article. Although the material is interesting.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Please see the attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Reviewer 3:

1. Abstract
2. Please add the information regarding the sample size and the sampling method.

Authors: Thank you for your valuable feedback. In response, we have revised the abstract to incorporate the sample size and sampling method. “Employing an online survey with a sample of 261 respondents obtained through convenience sampling via online distribution, the research seeks to unearth key facets of tourist behavior and categorize tourists based on their attitudes toward sustainability and degrowth” (line 15-17)

2. Introduction
3. Please clarify the definition of “latent dimensions”. For tourism degrowth?

Authors: Thank you for your suggestion. We have clarified the definition of “latent dimensions” in the context of tourism degrowth. This addition has been made on lines 72-81 to better explain how these underlying factors relate to tourists' attitudes and behaviours toward sustainability and degrowth.

“This study aims to address this gap by identifying the specific characteristics of sustainability-oriented tourists, evaluating their awareness and understanding of degrowth, and exploring their views on its potential to minimize the environmental impact of travel and destinations. In this context, latent dimensions refer to underlying, often unobserved factors that influence tourists' attitudes and behaviours toward tourism degrowth and sustainability. These dimensions include key behavioural patterns and beliefs that, while not directly visible, are crucial for understanding tourists' alignment with degrowth principles. Identifying these latent dimensions helps reveal how different types of tourists internalise and express values related to sustainable practices and degrowth in tourism.”

1. According to Line 63-66, the study purpose is a general survey of tourists’ opinions regarding sustainable tourism and degrowth. Why tourists need to care about these?

Authors: We have clarified in the revised text why tourists’ perspectives on sustainable tourism and degrowth are essential. Specifically, tourists play a central role in sustainable tourism, as their behaviours and choices have a direct impact on the environmental, economic, and social well-being of destinations. Research, such as Tearfund's campaign on responsible tourism, has shown that tourists’ consumption choices in travel, much like in other consumer activities, affect local communities and ecosystems. By understanding tourists’ awareness and attitudes toward sustainability and degrowth, this study aims to support strategies that encourage responsible tourism, ultimately helping to reduce tourism’s negative impacts and promote long-term sustainability within the industry. This information was added to line 70-75.

“Tourists are central to sustainable tourism because their behaviours and choices directly impact destinations' environmental, economic, and social well-being. As highlighted by previous research (e.g., Tearfund's campaign in 2000 on responsible tourism), tourists' consumption choices in travel, much like any other consumer activity, carry consequences for local communities and ecosystems.”

3. Literature review
4. According to the reference 15-26, the author posts the content. However, I did not see the existing research gaps and unsolved problems. Please enhance the related argument.

Authors: Thank you for your feedback. We have enhanced the literature review to clearly define the research gaps our study addresses. Specifically, we noted that, despite extensive research on overtourism and sustainability, there remains a significant gap in understanding tourists' own perspectives on these issues and the concept of degrowth. We clarified this addition with the following in lines 221-230:

“Despite significant scholarly attention to overtourism and the unsustainable growth of the tourism sector, there remains a notable gap in understanding how tourists perceive these issues and the concept of degrowth. Much of the literature has focused on policy or industry-driven approaches to address sustainability, with limited empirical research examining tourists’ awareness and support for degrowth principles. Moreover, while concepts such as ‘quality tourism’ and ‘fake degrowth’ have been critiqued [24], there is still a need to explore what authentic degrowth might look like from a tourist’s perspective. This study seeks to address these gaps by analyzing tourists’ views on sustainability and degrowth, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of how tourist behaviour can support sustainable tourism models.”

1. Please re-organize the structure of the literature to fit the research focus.

Authors: In response to the reviewer’s comment regarding the structure of the literature review, we have reorganized this section to better align with the study’s research focus. We integrated 2.1 Limits to Growth and the Recent Rise of Degrowth Movement and 2.2 The Limits of Tourism Growth into a single, cohesive subsection titled Degrowth Principles and the Challenges of Tourism Expansion. This revised section now provides a more streamlined, focused narrative on the interplay between degrowth principles and tourism’s growth challenges.

This restructured approach emphasizes the core themes in a more concise manner, facilitating a smoother transition into the empirical aspects of our research. Additionally, by merging these subsections, we eliminated redundancies and reinforced the primary research focus, enhancing clarity and readability. We hope this revision effectively addresses the reviewer’s concern.

4. Materials and methods-
5. For me, degrowth is neither abstract (it is quite concrete and could be observed) nor a construct. I cannot figure out why habit should be measured by the scale items.

Authors: Thank you for your feedback. We have added the following clarification to lines 348-355 to explain the approach taken in measuring degrowth within the study:

“In this study, degrowth refers to a measurable construct in terms of tourists’ awareness of, alignment with, and support for degrowth principles. While degrowth as a concept has concrete socio-economic implications, individuals' alignment with its principles - such as reducing consumption, prioritizing community well-being, and supporting environmental sustainability - is not directly observable. Therefore, scale items related to degrowth were designed to capture these attitudes and behaviours, assessing tourists' degree of support for degrowth principles within the context of their travel habits.”

1. Please list the scale items and their sources.

Authors: We’ve added a table at the end of section 3.1 detailing each scale item along with its source and description. This provides a clear reference for the items used in measuring tourists' perspectives on degrowth and sustainability.

5. Results
6. I cannot figure out the purpose of Figure 4. Looks like it is inconsistent with the previous analytical results.

Authors: In response to this comment, we have clarified the purpose of Figure 4 within the text (line 584-594). The word cloud in Figure 4 serves as a visual summary of respondents’ perceptions regarding key challenges to sustainable tourism, derived from an open-ended question. This visualization complements the study’s analytical results by highlighting the most frequently mentioned themes, such as the need for awareness, managing consumption, and addressing mass tourism, among other issues raised by participants. We hope this addition enhances the coherence between the figure and the broader analysis.

6. Discussions
7. Please identify the similarities and differences of the results between your research and previous studies. The comparisons are required.

Authors: Thank you for your suggestion. In response, a comparative analysis has been added to the discussion section. This new content highlights both the similarities and differences between this study’s findings and those from previous research. Specifically, the discussion now addresses how the segmentation of tourists based on sustainable practices aligns with established frameworks, while also revealing unique insights, particularly with respect to age demographics and demand-driven perspectives on sustainable tourism. These comparisons help to situate the study’s results within the broader literature on tourism degrowth and sustainable tourism.

The following information was added to page 17-18 (lines 615-636):

“This study observed that tourists who exhibit a strong alignment with sustainable practices and degrowth principles tend to be older, particularly those over 45 years of age. This finding aligns with previous research, such as Fletcher et al. [5] and Fitzpatrick et al. [11] which noted that older demographics may demonstrate greater awareness or commitment to sustainability due to life experience or generational values. This study adds nuance by highlighting that, although younger tourists were generally less aligned with degrowth ideals, some still consider sustainability to a degree, primarily influenced by environmental concerns rather than the broader degrowth ideology.

Additionally, the segmentation of tourists into growth-oriented, sustainable-oriented, and degrowth-aligned types aligns with Kotler’s framework of behavioral segmentation (used in tourism studies such as those by the Macao Visitor Profile Survey). However, this research extends this framework by applying it to the emerging concept of degrowth, revealing distinct attitudes within the context of sustainability. This segmentation helps clarify that while sustainability has broad appeal, alignment with degrowth is more polarized.

These findings contrast with previous literature on overtourism and sustainability, which often emphasizes industry-driven or policy-focused solutions. Here, it is demonstrated that a portion of tourists are open to behavior changes aligned with degrowth, suggesting potential for demand-driven shifts in the tourism sector. This demand-driven perspective complements prior research, adding depth to the argument for incorporating tourists' preferences in sustainable tourism strategies, as suggested by studies on responsible consumption trends by Goodwin & Francis [27] and Patwary [25].”

7. Conclusions
8. Please highlight what is new and interesting of your research, then you may clarify the theoretical and managerial “implications.” I would like to suggest breaking down several sub-sections. b. Both the theoretical and managerial “implications” need to be addressed in line with the references.

Authors: The conclusion section has been fully revised to address these suggestions. It now highlights the unique contributions of this research, emphasizing new insights on tourists’ perspectives regarding degrowth and their potential role in sustainable tourism. To improve clarity, the section is divided into sub-sections that distinctly cover key contributions, theoretical implications, managerial implications, and practical recommendations for future research.

Theoretical and managerial implications have been expanded and are now aligned with relevant references, including works by Fletcher et al. (2019), Latouche (2004), Kallis et al. (2012), and UNWTO (2018). This alignment provides a stronger foundation for the study’s findings within the existing literature, contributing to a deeper understanding of degrowth's applicability in tourism.

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The research presents a series of relevant findings for the moment in which the tourism industry finds itself, sustainability being undoubtedly the key element of long-term development.

From the perspective of the content of the work, I make the following observations:

1. improving the selected literature, by bringing to the fore some concrete examples of the main objectives selected for research,

2. in the final part of the work, it would be indicated to present concrete directions for the future, concrete plans and strategies to make the research results much more visible.

Author Response

Reviewer 4:

The research presents a series of relevant findings for the moment in which the tourism industry finds itself, sustainability being undoubtedly the key element of long-term development.

From the perspective of the content of the work, I make the following observations:

1. improving the selected literature, by bringing to the fore some concrete examples of the main objectives selected for research,

Authors: Thank you for the insightful suggestion. We have incorporated specific examples within the literature review to highlight concrete cases that align with the main objectives of our research. This addition aims to strengthen the context and relevance of degrowth-focused tourism models as discussed in the study.

Page 7 (line 284-291)

“Examples of overtourism in destinations like Barcelona, Venice, and Machu Picchu highlight the pressing need for degrowth-focused tourism models. In Barcelona, rapid growth has caused overcrowding, gentrification, and tensions between tourism's economic benefits and social costs [18]. Similarly, Machu Picchu’s high visitor traffic has resulted in environmental and archaeological damage, prompting daily visitor caps and stricter regulations [43]. These cases underscore the limitations of the current tourism growth paradigm, advocating for degrowth approaches that respect sustainable carrying capacities.”

2. in the final part of the work, it would be indicated to present concrete directions for the future, concrete plans and strategies to make the research results much more visible.

Authors: Thank you for your valuable feedback. The conclusion section has been fully revised, and as part of this extensive update, we have incorporated concrete recommendations and strategic directions to address your comment. This includes actionable suggestions for educational programs, public awareness campaigns, pilot programs for degrowth practices in tourism, and future research initiatives. These additions aim to make the study's results more visible and provide a practical foundation for advancing degrowth principles within sustainable tourism.