The Royal Djurgården Society welcomed Milena Nikolova, expert and researcher with a focus on behavioural economics in tourism, to a breakfast at the newly opened Konsthallen on Royal Djurgården on 20 October. In an exciting presentation, she talked about how knowledge of human behaviour, how we process information and make decisions, can make sustainability an effortless and non-negotiable aspect for our guests as well as contribute to better business opportunities.
Royal Djurgården – an international beacon
In September, the Royal Djurgården Society received the Green Destinations Platinum Award for Royal Djurgården’s joint strategic and long-term sustainability work. This was noticed by Milena who pointed out that the symbolic value of good role models is important in uncertain times. She believes that good role models, who show that sustainability is an obvious basis for destination development, point to a new direction where sustainable choices are not negotiable.
What choice do we have?
Many people ask how much resources can be spent on sustainability in a world where so much is uncertain? But Milena Nikolova believes that it is not a question we can ask ourselves. Sustainability is not up for negotiation. We must choose the right path and make the sustainable options the standard, impossible to resist and non-negotiable for our guests. With knowledge of human behaviour, we can use design, ways of presentation and communication to steer, or nudge, the guests’ behaviour in the desired direction and get them to make the right choices.
Milena Nikolova’s report “Smart ways“, about ways to tweak products and services to make them more profitable and sustainable and nudge guests’ choices in the right direction. (Can also be found on our recently created inspiration page in Swedish as “Smarta sätt”. We have collected all kinds of useful information from the entire industry there.)
Feel free to take part of Milena Nikolova’s presentation People-smart, Business-smart and Sustainability-smart.
Through nudging, we can contribute to more resource-efficient consumption. (8.4)
With knowledge of human behavior, we can use design, ways of presentation and communication to steer guests’ behavior in the desired direction and get them to make smart and sustainable choices effortlessly. (12.3, 5)
