Nudging in hospitality and tourism

Abstract

A nudge is a deliberate intervention in the design of a choice environment that influences people’s behavior predictably without prohibiting any options or relying on substantial economic incentives. Nudging is rooted in the finding that people have limited cognition, are prone to biases, and sometimes lack self-control (i.e., they have bounded rationality). Based on these circumstances, nudging aims to improve decision-making for the welfare of people and society. In the context of hospitality and tourism, nudges have been shown to be effective in guiding people to eat healthier and behave more sustainably. For example, displaying the social norm that most other guests reuse their towels has been shown to increase towel reuse. Such interventions can thus reduce energy use without reducing people’s freedom of choice. To avoid pitfalls and account for specific contexts, behavioral scientists have developed procedures to design, test, and implement nudges, enabling the use of these valuable tools