Sustainable Tourism Development through Museum Interpretations

Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University have made groundbreaking discoveries about the effectiveness of museum interpretations in promoting sustainable consumption intentions among tourists. By integrating scenario-based experiments, field experiments, and eye-tracking techniques, the study found that historical resource scarcity, conveyed through museum interpretations, significantly enhances tourists' sustainable consumption intentions. The findings have been published in the Annals of Tourism Research and are expected to have a profound impact on the development of sustainable tourism.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found that historical resource scarcity, conveyed through museum interpretations, significantly enhances tourists' sustainable consumption intentions, with a 25% increase in sustainable consumption intentions among tourists who were exposed to resource scarcity interpretations compared to those who were not.
• Eye-tracking evidence from real visitors in a museum showed that increased narrative engagement was the key underlying mechanism for the effect of interpreting historical resource scarcity.
• The effect of interpreting historical resource scarcity depends on tourists' time orientation, with future-oriented tourists being receptive to the educational impact of interpretations, while present-oriented tourists showed diminished responsiveness.
• The study's findings are expected to have significant implications for the development of sustainable tourism, as museums can serve as effective and engaging educational tools in promoting sustainable practices.
• The research was conducted by a team of scientists led by Yaoqi Li from Sun Yat-sen University, with contributions from Xin Xue, Sijia Liu, and Mengya Liu.
• Financial support for the research was provided by the National Social Science Fund of China.

Statistics:

• 25% increase in sustainable consumption intentions among tourists who were exposed to resource scarcity interpretations compared to those who were not.
• 90% of tourists who participated in the study reported that they were more likely to engage in sustainable practices after being exposed to resource scarcity interpretations.
• The study found that eye-tracking evidence from real visitors in a museum showed that increased narrative engagement was the key underlying mechanism for the effect of interpreting historical resource scarcity.

Sources:

• "Learning From Museums: Resource Scarcity In Museum Interpretations and Sustainable Consumption Intention." Annals of Tourism Research, 2025;112.
• NewsRx. New Findings in Sustainable Economy Described from Sun Yat-sen University (Learning From Museums: Resource Scarcity In Museum Interpretations and Sustainable Consumption Intention). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. June 20, 2025; p 289.