The consumer behaviour and environmental consciousness of domestic air travellers within a South African context

Abstract

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines are aggressively attempting to regain their positions in the skies in a highly volatile and competitive industry. However, the industry’s damaging impact on the environment and its ‘business-as-usual’ status quo are incompatible with the forecast of increased air travel and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2050 goal of zero emissions. Consumer behaviour is argued to be a driver in mitigating the environmental impacts of air travel. A lack of research on the consumer behaviour and environmental consciousness of air travellers and the interrelationships between these factors has left important aspects regarding understanding the modern air traveller underexplored. This research study investigated the consumer behaviour and environmental consciousness of domestic air travellers within a South African context. Primary data was collected using a quantitative survey, employing non-probability sampling methods amongst domestic air travellers. The study analysed 394 responses using descriptive, multivariate and inferential statistics. The nine factors relating to consumer behaviour and five factors relating to environmental consciousness that were identified by the analyses, revealed significant relationships. Green attributes were identified as a factor for airline differentiation, and an enabler for consumers to drive the mitigation of the aviation industry’s environmental impacts. The study will contribute to an improved understanding of air traveller consumer behaviour from an environmental perspective. This understanding will enable airline marketers to innovate towards sustainability in their post-Covid-19 recoveries, to establish a sustainable competitive advantage and to foster a licence to grow. A replica of the study is recommended for future research, to gain comparative insights of the post-Covid-19 air traveller

In die lig van die Covid-19-pandemie poog lugrederye aggressief om hul posisie in die lug, in ʼn hoogs onbestendige en mededingende bedryf, te herwin. Die industrie se skadelike invloed op die omgewing en sy 'sake-soos-gewoonlik'-status is egter nie onverenigbaar met die voorspelling van toenemende lugreis en die interregeringspaneel oor klimaatverandering se doel van geen uitlaatgasse teen 2050 nie. Verbruikersgedrag word beskou as die aandrywer om die omgewingsimpak van lugvervoer te verminder. ʼn Gebrek aan navorsing oor die verbruikersgedrag en omgewingsbewustheid van lugreisigers en die verwantskap tussen hierdie faktore het belangrike aspekte oor die begrip van die moderne lugreisiger onverken gelaat. Hierdie studie ondersoek die verbruikersgedrag en omgewingsbewustheid van binnelandse lugreisigers in 'n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Primêre data is deur ʼn kwantitatiewe opname versamel wat opnamemetodes van onwaarskynlikheid onder binnelandse lugreisigers gebruik het. Die studie het 394 response deur deskriptiewe, meerveranderlike en inferensiële statistiek ontleed. Die ontleding het nege faktore wat met verbruikersgedrag verband hou en die vyf faktore wat met omgewingsbewustheid verband hou geïdentifiseer en beduidende verhoudings is onthul. Groen eienskappe is geïdentifiseer as ʼn faktor vir lugrederydifferensiasie en ʼn instaatsteller vir verbruikers om die vermindering van die omgewingsimpakte van die lugdiensbedryf. Die studie dra tot ʼn beter begrip van lugreisiger-verbruikersgedrag uit ʼn omgewingsperspektief by. Die begrip kan lugrederybemarkers in staat stel om innoverings bekend te stel vir volhoubaarheid in hul post-Covid-19-herstel om ʼn volhoubare mededingingsvoorsprong te vestig en ʼn lisensie om te groei te kweek. ʼn Herhaling van die studie word aanbeveel vir toekomstige navorsing om vergelykende insig oor post-Covid-19-lugreisigers te bekom

Ngemuva komqedazwe we-Covid-19, izindiza zizama ngamandla ngakho konke okusemandleni ukubuyela esimweni sokuba semoyeni ezabe zikuso embonini eguquguqukayo kakhulu futhi enokuncintisana. Kodwa-ke, umthelela olimazayo wale mboni endaweni ezungezile kanye nesimo sayo ‘sokusebenza njengokujwayelekile’ akuhambisani nesibikezelo sokukhuphuka kohambo lwendiza kanye nomgomo weThimba Lohulumeni Bezizwe Ezihlangene Lokushintsha Kwesimo Sezulu elingakhiqizi nhlobo ngonyaka wezi-2050. Ukuziphatha kwabathengi kuthiwa kuyimbangela yokunciphisa imithelela yezemvelo yokuhamba ngendiza. Ukuntuleka kocwaningo mayelana nokuziphatha kwabathengi kanye nokuqaphela imvelo yabahambi bezindiza kanye nokusebenzelana phakathi kwalezi zici kushiye izici ezibalulekile mayelana nokuqonda umsebenzisi wezindiza wesimanje ongahlolisiswanga kangako. Lolu cwaningo luphenye ukuziphatha kwabathengi kanye nokuqaphela imvelo kwabahambi bezindiza basekhaya ngaphakathi komongo waseNingizimu Afrika. Idatha eyisisekelo yaqoqwa kusetshenziswa inhlolovo yobuningi, kusetshenziswa izindlela zokusampula okwenzeka phakathi kwabahambi ngendiza basekhaya. Ucwaningo luhlaziye izimpendulo ezingama-394 kusetshenziswa izibalo ezichazayo, ezihlukene nezingasho lutho. Izici eziyisishiyagalolunye eziphathelene nokuziphatha kwabathengi kanye nezici ezinhlanu ezihlobene nokuqaphela imvelo ezihlonzwe ukuhlaziya ivezwa ubudlelwano obubalulekile. Izimfanelo zokuluhlaza zihlonzwe njengesici sokuhlukaniswa kwezindiza kanye nensiza kubathengi ukushayela ukuncishiswa kwemithelela yemvelo yemboni yezokundiza. Ucwaningo lunomthelela ekuqondeni okuthuthukisiwe kokuziphatha kwabathengi abahamba ngendiza ngokombono wemvelo. Lokhu kuqonda kungase kuvumele abakhangisi bezindiza ukuthi bethule izinto ezintsha eziya ekusimameni nasekubuyeni kwabo ebhizinisini kwabo ngemuva kwe-Covid-19, ukuze bathole inzuzo esimeme yokuncintisana kanye nokugqugquzela ilayisense yokukhula. Okufanekisayo kocwaningo kunconyelwe ucwaningo lwangomuso ngenhloso yokuthola imininingwane eqhathanisekayo kubahambi bezindiza bangemuva kwe-Covid-19