New research from Pusan National University shows that the sequence in which sustainability messages are presented can significantly affect how people respond to green appeals in tourism. Presenting information about environmental harm first, followed by a positive solution, produces stronger persuasive effects than positive messaging alone.
The study found that initial exposure to environmental degradation heightens attentional engagement and emotional arousal, while a subsequent positive green solution creates a contrast-based shift in emotional valence that drives stronger pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental communication has typically presented problems and solutions as separate messages, but people may perceive them as a sequence, first learning about environmental harm and then encountering possible solutions.
This suggests that an initial negative emotion could shape how a subsequent positive message is perceived, a question with particular relevance for tourism, where visitors are frequently encouraged to make environmentally responsible choices.
To investigate this process, Professor Insin Kim and Dr Alisa Kazakova of Pusan National University collaborated with Dr Marcel Bastiaansen of Breda University of Applied Sciences and Tilburg University in the Netherlands. The team developed a stage-based emotional processing framework clarifying the distinct roles of arousal and valence in sustainability message processing. The paper was made available online in Volume 43, Issue 4 of the Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing on 13th June 2026.
The researchers tested their framework across two complementary studies combining neural and behavioural evidence, focusing on arousal and valence as two distinct emotional attributes. In Study 1, a 64-channel electroencephalography experiment demonstrated that prior exposure to tourism-related environmental degradation heightened early attentional allocation and sustained neural engagement with subsequently presented green solutions. In Study 2, the same negative-to-positive message sequence produced a contrast-based positive shift in emotional valence, which in turn increased pro-environmental behavioural intention.
The findings revealed that emotional arousal and valence play distinct roles during the persuasion process. Arousal facilitated early-stage attention and message processing but did not directly influence participants’ intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviour. Valence-based evaluation, by contrast, emerged as the primary factor associated with later judgment and behavioural intention.
Professor Kim explains: “Our findings clarify the distinct functional roles of arousal and valence across successive stages of persuasion: early emotional activation facilitates attention and message processing, whereas subsequent valence based evaluation drives later judgment and intention formation.”
The findings could have practical implications for tourism organisations that rely on visitor participation to support environmental activities. Airlines, cruise operators, and nature-based destinations could structure sustainability communication as an emotional sequence rather than presenting green initiatives as isolated messages. For instance, they could first draw attention to an environmental concern before introducing a credible and achievable solution, such as choosing lower-carbon travel options, supporting marine conservation, or contributing to tourist destination protection.
The researchers suggest that carefully progressing from environmental concern to a positive and feasible solution can help translate heightened attention into constructive engagement. However, they caution that environmental information should be authentic and proportionate, rather than designed simply to frighten or overwhelm visitors. Connecting emotionally salient environmental information with a credible and actionable solution could help organisations encourage greater participation in pro-environmental initiatives.
Over the next few years, this strategy could influence how sustainability messages are delivered across digital booking platforms, destination applications, smart signage, and immersive tourism experiences. Rather than relying on a single environmental appeal, organisations could coordinate messages across different stages of the visitor journey.
The study suggests that effective persuasion depends not simply on eliciting emotional arousal but on guiding early attention towards a positive evaluation of credible solutions, a principle the researchers say may also inform climate, conservation, public health, and other social impact communication beyond tourism. Professor Kim concludes, “Future campaigns should be designed not simply to evoke intense reactions, but to guide early attention toward a positive evaluation of credible solutions and, ultimately, a willingness to act responsibly.”