Comparing the Effects of Tourists’ Perceptions of Residents’ Emotional Solidarity and Tourists’ Emotional Solidarity on Trip Satisfaction and Word-of-Mouth Intentions

• Published in: Journal of travel research 2024-01, Vol.63 (1), p.136-152
• Main Authors: Lai, Ivan Ka Wai, Wong, Jose Weng Chou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Customer satisfaction; Emotions; Perceptions; Tourism; Word of mouth advertising
• ISSN: 0047-2875; 1552-6763
• DOI: 10.1177/00472875221143504

This study aims to examine the effect of tourists’ perceptions of residents’ emotional solidarity with tourists on their trip satisfaction and word-of-mouth intentions toward a destination, taking into consideration the moderating effect of visitation frequency. It also aims to compare the impacts of tourists’ perceptions of residents’ emotional solidarity and the impacts of tourists’ perceptions of their emotional solidarity with residents. The results indicate that residents’ welcoming nature and emotional closeness as perceived by tourists have significant effects on tourists’ satisfaction and word-of-mouth intentions, while perceived residents’ sympathetic understanding does not. Visitation frequency significantly moderates the effects of perceptions of residents’ welcoming nature and emotional closeness on satisfaction. For tourists’ emotional solidarity, their sympathetic understanding has a significant effect on word-of-mouth intentions, and no moderating effect exists. This study has implications for exploring the differences in how tourists both receive from and offer to residents in terms of emotional solidarity.