Seventeenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Joost de Vries mentioned in 2018 that “my Amsterdam is being un-created by mass tourism” due to the prevalence of stag parties. Carsten Wergins stated that tourism has changed the world with its “materialities” as people go to exotic places not to relevantly appreciate other cultures but for irrelevant hedonism. Mass tourism has reshaped the structures of living in non-constructive ways as tourists are urged to behave. However, Monaco has aspired to engage in sustainable tourism since 2006. Prince Albert II created foundations to fund eco-friendly facilities like electric vehicles and develop bio-agriculture in permaculture. The Monaco establishment has initiated a campaign called “Green is The New Glam” to glorify this sustainable lifestyle of the francophone elites. According to Richard Thaler’s “behavioral economics,” human behaviors are not necessarily rational. People are inclined to be encouraged into good behavior through injunctive suggestions rather than descriptive commands. Therefore, the harsh critic of mass tourism fails to work since people dislike to be told what not to do (“Don’t litter!”). People respond better to suggestions for honorable deeds, normalized with complimentary style. (“Green is the new glam!”) In terms of “peak-end rule”, human brain automatically magnifies the short-term pain but trivializes long-term suffering. That explains why the awful memories of tourist’s disruptive behaviors linger as the fabulous holidays in Monaco, the jewel of French Riviera, are favorably enhanced. To popularize sustainability in tourism, we must change strategies to positively influence the tourists to minimize the potential environmental damages without losing the financial gain.