Abstract

CONTO, Suzana Maria De et al. Environmental Education in the Scope of Accommodations: Guests Information in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. Estud. perspect. tur. [online]. 2013, vol.22, n.3, pp.473-491. ISSN 1851-1732.

What criteria are used by guests for selecting accommodation? Is the development of programmes or practices related to environmental education in the context of different types of accommodation a criteria used by guests for selecting accommodation? Do guests take environmental actions implemented by accommodations into consideration? In order to provide the answers to these questions, a research was undertaken with guests of two hotels, exhibitors of a business event and participants of an academic event in the city of Caxias do Sul, which is located in the Grape and Wine Region. Questionnaire was the technique used for data collection. In total 316 questionnaires were considered valid for this research. The findings suggest that 56.5% of research participants do not search for information regarding environmental policies or practices developed by accommodations and 25,6% have never considered such issue. Only 8.2% of research participants do not take into account environmental practices developed by accommodations during the period of their stay. With regard to programmes or practices related to environmental education offered by accommodations, only 19% of research participants highlight that these are criteria for selecting accommodation. Based on the research results it is possible to conclude that it is important to develop informal activities of environmental education in the scope of accommodations, with the purpose of providing a space for critical reflexion and social learning for guests in order to enable them to make better and informed decisions regarding accommodations which show their concern with environmental sustainability.

Keywords : Environmental education; Accommodations; Guest's environmental commitment.

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