Cognitive biases as a source of suboptimal decisions in tourism and (un)sustainability problems: Understanding biases for better management of tourism - BIASTOUR

Project details:
BIASTOUR project is based on the principles of behavioural economics, which will be applied in the study of cognitive biases in the perceptions and decisions of tourists and local residents, from the perspective of environmental and social sustainability of tourism. A better understanding of cognitive biases and decision-making mechanisms represents untapped potential for increasing the effectiveness of measures and policies that support sustainable tourism development. During this project we will systematically examine the potential of affective components of attitude in promoting pro-environmental behaviour, i.e., voluntary carbon offsetting. We will also study the existence of cognitive biases in the consideration of voluntary carbon offsets and the preferences of tourists towards the attributes of carbon offsetting programs. Cognitive biases also exist in other aspects of tourism experience, and during the course of this project we will analyse cognitive biases that can potentially explain the week association between the subjective or objective use level of the protected natural area and visitor satisfaction. Methodological guidelines will be defined to mitigate the risk of distorted valuation of ecosystem services, which will enable the creation of a better information basis for managing protected natural areas. Croatian destinations are increasingly facing the problems of overtourism, which leads to environmental risks and adversely affects the well-being of the local population. Existing research indicates that a decision to support tourism may be affected by cognitive biases, which should be investigated in more detail. By creating a methodological framework that enables a better understanding of the (ir)rationality in the residents' decision to support tourism development, this project will support the formation of tourism development policies that promote the long-term well-being of the local population.

Project Objectives:

To systematically examine the potential of affective components of attitude in promoting pro-environmental behavior of tourists in the context of carbon offsetting, as well as the possibilities of easy implementation of affective incentives in practice.
To investigate whether willingness to pay for carbon offsets, uptake of carbon offsetting and the actual payment of carbon offsets are related to different sources of bias such as regret avoidance, selective perception and social desirability.
To examine which cognitive biases, with an emphasis on anchoring or the reference level that tourists use when evaluating their experience, are present in the valuation of visitor experience in protected natural areas facing the problems of overcrowding.
To analyse the mechanisms of tourism support in destinations facing the problems of overtourism – is residents’ support for tourism an outcome of a rational decision making process and adaptation, or an outcome of cognitive biases, such as status quo bias and loss aversion?

Project leader:
Ivan Sever, PhD

Team members:

dr. sc. Ana Perišić, PhD (Faculty of Science Split, Šibenik University of Applied Sciences)
Jelena Mušanović, PhD (Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Opatija)
Velibor Mačkić, PhD (Faculty of Economics & Business Zagreb)
Vedran Recher, PhD (Faculty of Economics & Business Zagreb)
Dr. rer. nat. Dominik-Borna Čepulić (Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb)
Ivan Sever, PhD (Institute for Tourism)

News

27.05.2025.

Jelena Mušanović Participated in the 15th FEBST Conference

Our colleague Jelena Mušanović from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija participated in the 15th FEBST International Conference, held in Brela from May 21st to 23rd. The conference was organized by the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split.

She presented a scientific paper titled “Visitors' Preferences in Terrestrial Protected Areas: A Systematic Review of Situational Factors”, which is the result of research conducted in collaboration with Ana Perišić and Ivan Sever, as part of the BIASTOUR project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ). The paper was presented within the special session “Environmental Responsibility and Sustainable Tourism.”

21.05.2025.

Collaboration with Krka National Park on the BIASTOUR Project

Krka National Park has actively joined the implementation of the scientific project „Cognitive Biases as a Source of Suboptimal Decisions in Tourism and (Un)Sustainability Problems: Understanding Biases for Better Management of Tourism (BIASTOUR)“, which is supported by the Croatian Science Foundation. The collaboration was formalized through the signing of an agreement on scientific and professional cooperation with the Institute for Tourism.

One of the main goals of the project is to identify effective interventions to trigger pro-environmental behavior among tourists. In this context, protected natural areas have been recognized as having exceptional potential to foster visitors’ preferences for experiences aligned with the principles of sustainable tourism development. Therefore, as part of the BIASTOUR project, a survey of visitors to Krka National Park will be conducted. The research focuses on examining visitor preferences toward various attributes of their visit to Krka National Park, with the aim of determining optimal programs for the spatial and/or temporal distribution of visitors and their segmentation, as well as encouraging pro-environmental behavior through incentives that could enhance their experience with the park.

21.02.2025.

Research Workshop Held on the BIASTOUR Project

On Friday, February 21, a research workshop was held at the Institute for Tourism as part of the scientific project "Cognitive biases as a source of suboptimal decisions in tourism and (un)sustainability problems: Understanding biases for better management of tourism (BIASTOUR)", supported by the Croatian Science Foundation. The workshop, aimed at developing the guidelines for upcoming primary research activities and providing a deeper insight into cognitive biases in the decisions of tourists and local residents that will be addressed by the project, was attended by all members of the research group and Zrinka Marušić from the Institute for Tourism. During the workshop, Assistant Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dominik-Borna Čepulić gave a lecture on cognitive biases in human decision-making, while linking them to pro-environmental and pro-social behaviors of tourists and local residents. The workshop concluded with the definition of guidelines for the development of the study protocols.

03.01.2025.

Kick-off Meeting of the BIASTOUR Project

On Friday, January 3rd, the kick-off meeting of the project "Cognitive biases as a source of suboptimal decisions in tourism and (un)sustainability problems: Understanding biases for better management of tourism (BIASTOUR)", funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, was held. The project is led by Dr. Ivan Sever from the Institute for Tourism. The meeting brought together six collaborators from six institutions, including the Institute for Tourism, the Faculty of Science in Split, the Polytechnic of Šibenik, the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, the Croatian Catholic University, and the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija. The project aims at providing a better understanding of decision-making mechanisms and cognitive biases in the perceptions and decisions of tourists and local residents, with the objective to increase the effectiveness of pro-environmental and pro-social interventions aimed at promoting sustainable tourism development. During the meeting, the research group discussed the planned primary research and the work plan for the first year of the project implementation, and agreed upon the upcoming research activities.