Purpose Examines the discrepancy between sustainable perceptions and self-reported sustainable behaviours among Generation Z tourism students. Drawing on a tripartite conceptualisation of sustainability – environmental, economic and social – the research investigates whether perceptions predict behaviours within each pillar and whether the magnitude of the perception–behaviour gap differs across these domains. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were collected from a sample of 455 tourism students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and paired-sample t-tests were conducted to assess predictive relationships and pillar-specific discrepancies between perceptions and behaviours. Findings Perceptions significantly predict behaviours across all three sustainability pillars, although with varying strengths. An inverse gap was identified in the environmental dimension (behaviour exceeding perception), a pronounced gap in the economic domain (perception exceeding behaviour), and a moderate gap in the social pillar. These findings indicate asymmetric alignment between sustainability values and practices across the three domains. Research limitations/implications Conceptualises the perception–behaviour gap as a multidimensional and domain-specific phenomenon. Practically, highlights the need for pedagogical strategies in tourism education that support the translation of sustainability values into consistent behavioural engagement, particularly in the economic and social domains. Originality/value Advances existing research by operationalising the perception–behaviour gap through parallel measurement across the three sustainability pillars and by providing a motivational interpretation of asymmetric gap patterns within an integrated analytical framework.
Almeida et al. (Sat,) studied this question.