SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AT SCIENTIFIC EVENTS: EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANT PERCEPTIONS AND CONGRESS TOURISM
Keywords:
environmental practices, congresses, conferences, sustainability, congress tourism
Abstract
Congress industry puts environmental pressure on destinations, indicating the need to implement green solutions that will ensure development of sustainable event offer, which will contribute to the sustainability of a destination. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the prevalence of the application of green practices in organizing scientific conferences and congresses. Empirical research was conducted to examine the attitudes and perceptions of participants regarding the level of representation of environmental practices at scientific conferences in which they participated, and the influence of their socio-demographic characteristics on differences in their attitudes. The empirical results contribute to a better understanding of the attitudes of scientific conference participants and their perceptions regarding the readiness of event organizers to transform current approach to organizing conferences to use resources responsibly and encourage responsible behaviour of the participants.
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References
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15470148.2013.787662
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Wong, I. K. A., Wan, Y. K. P., Huang, G. Q. I., & Qi, S. (2021). Green event directed pro-environmental behavior: an application of goal systems theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(11–12), 1948–1969. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1770770
Bloodhart, B. & Swim, J. K. (2020). Sustainability and consumption: what’s gender got to do with It? Journal of Social Issues, 76(1), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12370
Dwyer, L. (2022). Economic impacts of events. In: N. Wise, & K. Maguire (Eds), A Research Agenda for Event Impacts (pp. 19–39). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839109256.00010
Fermani, A., Crespi, I., & Stara, F. (2016). Sustainable hospitality and tourism at different ages: women’s and men’s attitudes in Italy. Research in Hospitality Management, 6(1), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.2989/
RHM.2016.6.1.11.1299
Ivkov, M., Milošević, S., Dimić, N., & Đoković, F. (2024). Measuring stakeholders’ attitudes toward sustainable development of conference and congress tourism: Serbia case study. Hotel and Tourism Management, 12(1), 9–26. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2400000I
Mair, J., Chien, P. M., Kelly, S. J., & Derrington, S. (2023). Social impacts of mega-events: A systematic narrative review and research agenda. In M. A. Ribeiro, & K. M. Woosnam (Eds.), Methodological Advancements in Social Impacts of Tourism Research (pp. 140–162). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003413165-8
Modica, P. D., Altinay, L., Farmaki, A., Gursoy, D., & Zenga, M. (2020). Consumer perceptions towards sustainable supply chain practices. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(3), 358–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/
13683500.2018.152625
Moisescu, O. I., Gică, O. A., Coroș, M. M., & Yallop, A. C. (2019). The UNTOLD story: Event tourism’s negative impact on residents’ community life and well-being. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 11(5), 492-505. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-06-2019-0036
Mykletun, R. J., Bartkeviciute, M., & Puchkova, Y. (2014). Green Meetings – Do They Matter to their Closest Stakeholders? Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 14(3), 211–233. https://doi.org/
10.1080/15022250.2014.946229
Myung, E. (2018). Environmental knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to pay for environmentally friendly meetings–An exploratory study. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 36, 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2017.03.004
Orthodoxou, D. L., Loizidou, X. I., Gavriel, A., Hadjiprocopiou, S., Petsa, D., & Demetriou, K. (2022). Sustainable business events: The perceptions of service providers, attendees, and stakeholders in decision-making positions. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 23(2), 154–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/15470148.2021.1964666
Paramasivam, S., Bhagat, S., Ravi, S. S., Mohan, N., & Khan, A. D. (2026). Environmentally sustainable event management for industry innovations and growth. In S. A. R. Khan, Z. Yu & M. Tanveer (Eds.), Prioritizing Environmental Sustainability in Local Industrial Systems (pp. 187–214). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-6435-3.ch007
Pavluković, V., Bučić, A., & Bojić, M. (2026). Willingness to pay more for green events: A behavioral perspective from Serbia. Tourism and Hospitality, 7(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp7020047
Raffay-Danyi, Á., & Formadi, K. (2022). Are we there yet? An analysis of visitor attitudes towards sustainability awareness raising initiatives. Society and Economy, 44(1), 102–118. https://doi.org/10.1556/
204.2022.00003
Rittichainuwat, B., & Mair, J. (2012). An Exploratory Study of Attendee Perceptions of Green Meetings. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 13(3), 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/15470148.2012.706786
Santos, J. A. C., Fernández-Gámez, M. Á., Guevara-Plaza, A., Custódio Santos, M., & Pestana, M. H. (2023). The sustainable transformation of business events: sociodemographic variables as determinants of attitudes towards sustainable academic conferences. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 14(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-05-2022-0041
Santos, J. A. C., Fernández-Gámez, M. A., Puig-Cabrera, M., & Santos, M. C. (2024). Sustainability in Business Events: How Hybrid Formats Shape Attendee Decision-Making. Journal of Tourism and Services, 15(29), 320–348. https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v15i29.1006
Sox, C. B., Benjamin, S., Carpenter, J., & Strick, S. (2013). An Exploratory Study of Meeting Planners and Conference Attendees’ Perceptions of Sustainable Issues in Convention Centers. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 14(2), 144–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/
15470148.2013.787662
Tölkes, C., & Butzmann, E. (2018). Motivating Pro-Sustainable Behavior: The Potential of Green Events-A Case-Study from the Munich Streetlife Festival. Sustainability, 10(10), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su10103731
Ye, Y., Su, C. H., Tsai, C. H., & Hung, J. L. (2020). Motivators of attendance at eco-friendly events. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 21(5), 417–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/15470148.2020.1776656
Wong, I. K. A., Wan, Y. K. P., Huang, G. Q. I., & Qi, S. (2021). Green event directed pro-environmental behavior: an application of goal systems theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(11–12), 1948–1969. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1770770
Published
2026-10-16
How to Cite
Podovac, M., & Milojica, V. (2026). SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AT SCIENTIFIC EVENTS: EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANT PERCEPTIONS AND CONGRESS TOURISM. Tourism International Scientific Conference Vrnjačka Banja - TISC, 9(1), 149-160. https://doi.org/10.52370/TISC26149MP
Section
Articles
