Out of sight, out of mind. How important are sustainability factors in destination choice?

Sustainability has become an important factor in tourism, yet its impact on tourists' destination choices is not fully quantified compared to traditional attributes. This study uses an analytical and operational framework to compare environmental, socio-cultural, and economic sustainability attributes and tourist conventional attributes in influencing tourists' summer holiday decisions. The analysis is based on a sample of 2098 respondents from Austria. The study uses a MaxDiff experiment to derive individual-level importance scores for 18 destination attributes, for sustainable and conventional factors. Overall, conventional destination attributes such as scenery, climate, and value for money outweigh sustainability concerns, while socio-cultural factors receive higher importance among sustainable attributes. In an out of sight, out of mind manner, attributes are valued more when tangible to tourists, such as landscapes, than invisible factors like green electricity. A cluster analysis identified three heterogeneous tourist profiles. A traditional segment focusing on conventional and familiar experiences (44.85%); a pro-environmental cluster prioritising sustainable mobility (38.23%); and a balanced group valuing environmental sustainability with significant cultural awareness, and less emphasis on affordability (16.92%). The discriminant analysis revealed that transport choices, accommodation types, leisure activities, and income levels significantly drive differences among clusters. The findings indicate that socio-cultural sustainability aspects rank higher than environmental aspects. Two segments were identified that could be addressed specifically with low-impact mobility options and premium experiences that safeguard local culture and natural settings.