Gen Z perceptions of sustainable tourism: a scale development study

In pursuit of sustainable tourism, it is vital to measure and track any progress towards this desired outcome. Over the past 30 years, academic research upon sustainable tourism has been developed substantially, focusing on the balance of economic, environment and social-cultural elements, yet the techniques used are frequently based upon an overly simplified perspective. This research focused upon Gen Z (those born after 1997) and consists of three studies: Study 1: Mapping the domain of sustainable tourism using concept mapping with 28 Malaysian participants and 82 statements derived from indicator frameworks. Study 2: Scale item refinement using exploratory factor analysis from 231 Malaysian Gen Z within the normative [importance] domain. Finally, Study 3: Confirmation and application using confirmatory composite analysis evaluated the derived measurement instrument cross-nationally between 177 Malaysian and 182 British Gen Z in both the normative domain and the descriptive [applied] domain. The results of the study produce a seventeen-item instrument comprising four factors: Social, Cultural, Environmental Protection and Destination Management. These results support contemporary theoretical perspectives with only small variations, but this better reflects the dynamics of the tourist industry.