Can gamification induce a sustainable habit in tourists?

Abstract

The sustainability of a destination is directly affected by its waste management, and the recycling behavior of visitors is essential for that management to be successful. In this context, in developing a European project, UrbanWaste, a mobile app was applied that tried to promote these behaviors through gamification. The result indicates the success of these strategies in their goal. However, what happens when the tool disappears? Do tourists maintain their sustainable behavior? This work proposes that gamification through external motivators makes tourists who have used the tool develop the habit of recycling.