Understanding environmentally significant behavior among whitewater rafting and trekking guides in the Garhwal Himalaya, India

Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India, is planning for large-scale sustainable mountain tourism. However, current tourism practices have resulted in waste accumulation and vegetation loss. This paper explores the possibility of increasing the role of whitewater rafting and adventure tour guides to reduce tourists' environmental impacts. Earlier studies on guides acquiescent with this role have found it to be effective in altering client behavior and minimizing environmentally destructive behavior. However, only limited research focuses on guides from developing countries outside an ecotourism context. This exploratory research in Garhwal, India, helps explain adventure guide intentions to perform pro-environmental behavior. The theory of planned behavior was applied to identify factors leading to a sample of 68 whitewater and trekking guides to perform three environmentally significant behaviors - packing out rubbish, burying their human waste and cutting living trees for firewood. Results suggest that the theoretical antecedents of the theory of planned behavior can predict intentions to perform pro-environmental behavior among non-western guides. Possible impediments to consistent performance of pro-environmental behavior among guides were noted, including lack of social pressure to change, abhorrence of contact with excreta, caste issues, effort expended to dig burial holes, etc. Managerial possibilities to encourage change are discussed.