Residents’ support for red tourism in China: The moderating effect of central government

• Published in: Annals of tourism research 2017-05, Vol.64, p.51-63
• Main Authors: Zuo, Bing, Gursoy, Dogan, Wall, Geoffrey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Central government; Centralization; Community support; Cultural trust; Federal government; Institutional trust; Local government; Proximity; Red tourism; Social Exchange Theory; Tourism
• ISSN: 0160-7383; 1873-7722
• DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2017.03.001

Note: PB=perceived benefit; PC=perceived cost; PP=perceived level of power; TL=trust in local government; TC=trust in central government; ST=support for “red tourism” and ∗ indicates that the hypothesis has not been tested empirically in previous studies. [Display omitted] •The influence of authoritarian values on support for tourism development is explored.•Institutional trust and cultural trust are both incorporated to build the SEM model.•The moderating effect of trust of central government is identified.•The institutional trust framework is suitable to assess residents’ trust in the local government.•The cultural trust framework is more appropriate to assess trust in the central government. This study proposes and tests a model that incorporates two competing theories of political trust, institutional trust and cultural trust, to examine community support for “red tourism” development. Using data gathered from residents living in close proximity to Jinggangshan Scenic Area in China, this study examines the influence of authoritarian values, particularly as they relate to level of residents’ power, their level of trust in government, and their effects on support for “red tourism.” Findings suggest that trust in central government moderates the relationship between trust in local government and support. Future studies should utilize the institutional trust framework to assess residents’ trust in the local government and the cultural trust framework to assess trust in the central government.