Nature-based tourism has been widely addressed, yet research on nature-based science tourism, founded on science, scientific knowledge, and/or engagement in scientific research, is still scarce. Drawing on tourist motivation, nature-based tourism, special interest tourism, and science tourism, a novel theoretical conceptualization of nature-based science tourism was developed. The framework identified three categories of science tourism with intensifying levels of tourists’ interest in scientific knowledge and tourist engagement: tourism based on scientific knowledge, tourism with scientific adventure or volunteering, and scientific research tourism. In the empirical part, the framework was applied to Seili Island, Finland, and tourist motivation to nature-based science tourism was examined through a survey (n = 518). According to the results, tourists were interested in science and nature-based science tourism products, especially guided tours involving scientific interpretation, but also in intensive scientific excursions. Learning was a dominant motivation, but enjoying nature and escape and relaxation were also significant. When moving from guided tours to more intensive scientific excursions, motivations diversified; besides learning, other tourist motivations also need to be addressed in developing nature-based science tourism experiences. The study contributes to nature-based tourism and underresearched science tourism literature and provides practical implications for developing nature-based tourism.

Festivals have seen a surge in both size and numbers leading to a more business-oriented festival management. Thus, knowledge regarding the audiences and consumption of festivals deserve more attention, and monetary properties such as ticket sales and partnerships have become focal points in festival management. All these aims can be achieved by market segmentation. Festival Barometer is a longitudinal survey focused on the audiences of the largest Finnish rhythm music festivals. Using 7797 answers from the years 2014 and 2016, the audience was segmented using personal music preferences into groups named: hedonistic dance crowd, loyal heavy tribe and highly-educated omnivores. The members of the loyal heavy tribe are the most confident about their future participation in festivals. The hedonistic dance crowd love to have fun, and highly-educated omnivores see festivals’ values important for them. However, music preferences might not necessarily indicate the respondent’s actual taste but rather the referential group that best reflects the festivalgoer’s own identity. Additionally, the meaning of the music is highest in the youngest age group and it will be replaced with other priorities as the person gets older. This indicates that the music festival organisers are forced to attract constantly a new younger audience.

The ecological crisis, characterized by various interconnected environmental problems, has emerged as a significant source of anxiety, commonly known as ‘eco‐anxiety’. This psychological distress stemming from ecological threats carries profound implications for human and nonhuman well‐being. Research suggests that while a strong connection with nature can increase eco‐anxiety, cultivating and sustaining this connection can also serve as a coping mechanism to mitigate its negative effects. This study investigates the interplay between eco‐anxiety, nature connection and well‐being, providing a framework for understanding how they interact amid the ecological crisis. The data were collected through an online panel survey in 2022, targeting the Finnish population aged 18 to 65 (n = 1013). Covariance‐based structural equation modelling (CB‐SEM) was employed to test three hypotheses regarding the relationship between these constructs. The analysis confirmed all hypotheses. First, eco‐anxiety was negatively related to well‐being, indicating that ecological threats contribute to psychological distress. Second, a positive association was found between eco‐anxiety and nature connection, suggesting that individuals experiencing eco‐anxiety possess a deeper sense of interconnectedness with the natural world. Third, a positive relationship was established between nature connection and well‐being, highlighting that a robust connection with nature enhances overall well‐being. Additionally, a statistically significant positive indirect relationship was identified between eco‐anxiety and well‐being, indicating that a deeper connection with nature can mitigate the negative effects of eco‐anxiety. Synthesis and applications. This study furthers the understanding of the complex interconnections between eco‐anxiety, nature connection and well‐being. The study also advances the understanding of eco‐anxiety not only as a psychological burden but also as a potential catalyst for fostering environmental awareness and engaging individuals in environmental stewardship and agency, sometimes called ‘practical eco‐anxiety’. This holds significant implications for environmental education, psychology and policy development: with constructive coping skills, people can practice environmental responsibility and cherish a strong nature connection. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

This study focuses on social sustainability of music events in adolescents’ lives through their perceptions and own words as they describe their live music experiences. Scrutinizing music event attendance from the social sustainability perspective demonstrates that the cultural content per se is not as meaningful as the social network that comes together in such events. The research questions were: How is social sustainability manifested in adolescents’ music event attendance, and what are the implications? The research data comprised the results of a web survey directed at 15–18 year old adolescents. Bonding and bridging, as well as the sense of community, were present in adolescents’ descriptions of live music experiences, producing various forms of well-being effects. The sense of belonging was almost missing from the narratives, which suggests that how adolescents consume music has a decaying interest in the grassroots culture that fosters the sense of belonging. This has major implications for the development of popular culture.