Passengers’ perception on aviation environmental issues and its effect on sustainable tourism

Transport, a fundamental prerequisite for tourism, connects people from all over the world with their destinations. With reference to civil aviation, passengers’ better knowledge could definitely improve their perception on aviation environmental issues and its weight in airlines choice, since their conscious choices may influence the adoption and/or diffusion of environmental protection actions by airlines. The related fallout will increase the sustainability of the entire tourism sector. Therefore, through an interview at Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport, the authors investigate Italian and foreign passengers’ main features and their attitude towards aviation environmental topics. This investigation showed that flight-tourists are one of the least informed categories on aviation environmental issues, the least interested in aviation environmental policies and the least inclined to pay to enhance aviation sustainability (online carbon offset and/or more expensive tickets to produce and use sustainable jet fuels). Thus, sustainable tourism goals could be achieved stressing flight-tourists environmental awareness.