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Fewer Clicks, Lower Emissions: Eye-Tracking Analysis of Eco-Friendly Navigation in Tourism Websites

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  • Chen Chen

    (College of Furnishings and Industrial Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Kexin Huang

    (College of Furnishings and Industrial Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

This study investigated the factors influencing search efficiency on travel websites, focusing on the effects of gender, website design, and the distribution of effective versus ineffective areas in page layout on visual search efficiency and task performance. Using eye-tracking technology, three experiments were conducted with 48 participants (19 males, 29 females; Mage = 26.73). Among the tested websites, TC exhibited the highest efficiency in task completion time, followed by QN and TN (40.10 s < 83.88 s < 95.27 s). Analysis of fixation distributions indicated that participants focused on effective areas at rates of 20.53% (TC), 55.31% (QN), and 62.42% (TN), underscoring the significant impact of effective and interference area distribution on search efficiency. These findings provide empirical evidence for optimizing travel website design through visual layout improvements to enhance information retrieval and user experience, with TC serving as a prime example of a site with lower cognitive load that better aligns with sustainable tourism principles.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen Chen & Kexin Huang, 2025. "Fewer Clicks, Lower Emissions: Eye-Tracking Analysis of Eco-Friendly Navigation in Tourism Websites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-23, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5462-:d:1678351
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Robert Istrate & Victor Tulus & Robert N. Grass & Laurent Vanbever & Wendelin J. Stark & Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez, 2024. "The environmental sustainability of digital content consumption," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Adelina Zeqiri & Adel Ben Youssef & Teja Maherzi Zahar, 2025. "The Role of Digital Tourism Platforms in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in the Industry 4.0 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-24, April.
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