Exploring community self-efficacy to light pollution mitigation in a tourism destination

Abstract

Light pollution is an emergent environmental concern, it disrupts the natural patterns of wildlife, contributes to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, disrupts human sleep, and obscures the stars in the night sky. However, rural and urban communities often overlook this factor, since it is not seen as a problem, and even if the destination has taken measures to mitigate light pollution, it is still challenging to maintain optimal levels. This study applied a questionnaire (N = 366) to examine the community involvement in light pollution mitigation in a Portuguese rural tourism destination in 2023. Results demonstrated that tourism is not a sufficient incentive for participants to take individual measures to mitigate light pollution (? = 0.075, p = 0.243). However, they consider that integrating tourism with light pollution mitigation at the local community level could enhance the tourist experience (? = 0.427, p = 0.000). Tourism destinations should promote environmental education about the effects of light pollution.