Building bridges between residents and tourism: Attitudinal support, emotional solidarity, and intentions for pro-tourism behaviours

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20240405

Keywords:

Residents, Pro-tourism Behaviour, Emotional Solidarity, Destination Branding, Algarve, Attitudes in Support of Tourism

Abstract

This study explores the relationships between residents' attitudes in support of tourism, emotional solidarity with tourists and willingness to engage in pro-tourism behaviours. Residents' support for tourism hinges on their perceived benefits and costs, as influenced by theories such as the Social Exchange Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action. Despite extensive research on residents' attitudes and tourism support, pro-tourism behaviours remain underexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating how residents' attitudes and emotional solidarity, including newly added indicators of interpersonal connection, impact their intentions for pro-tourism behaviours. Empirical data from a sample of 4,026 residents in the Algarve region, Portugal, were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results of this study not only offer theoretical insights but also have practical implications for destination management. These findings underscore the importance of implementing internal marketing strategies that foster a welcoming and empathetic attitude among residents towards tourists. The study's results become directly relevant and beneficial to tourism by fostering a sense of connection and appreciation for tourists among residents.

Author Biographies

  • Milene Lança, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs); Faculty of Economics/the University of Algarve

    Milene Lança is currently working at the European University of the Seas (SEA-EU Alliance) as a senior technician and conducting a post-doctoral degree in tourism at the Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in tourism and a bachelor's and master's degree in sociology, all earned from the same institution. Since engaging in research initiatives in 2007, Milene has actively participated in various projects and publications within tourism, sustainability, consumer behaviour, gender, human sexual behaviours, and statistics. She is also an Invited Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and an Integrated Researcher at CinTurs (Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability, and Well-Being) at the University of Algarve. Within this research centre, she focuses on studying tourism, leisure, and society. 

  • Luís Nobre Pereira, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs); University of Algarve/School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT)

    Luis Nobre Pereira is a Full Professor at the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism of the University of Algarve. He is Vice-president of the Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs) since 2018. He was President of the Technical-Scientific Council of the School between 2019 and 2023 and Deputy Director of the School between 2016 and 2019. He is active in conducting funded research projects in the fields of Tourism and Hospitality Management. His research interests include tourism demand modelling and forecasting, decision support systems for tourism management, sustainable tourism development, measuring tourists’ and residents’ behaviour, and hotel revenue management.

  • Ana Isabel Renda, Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation (CITUR); University of Algarve/School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT)

    Ana Isabel Renda is a Coordinating Professor at the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism of the University of the Algarve. She is an integrated member of CiTUR Algarve (Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation-Algarve) and a member-collaborator of CinTurs (Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being). She holds a PhD in Tourism from the University of the Algarve, a degree in Social Communication from the Technical University of Lisbon, and postgraduate degrees in Business Marketing and Business Administration from the University of the Algarve and the University of Huelva. She has presented and published on tourism research and is also a scientific reviewer for journals and conferences. Her research focuses on tourism perception, impacts and development, quality of life, and rural tourism.

  • Patrícia Pinto, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs); Faculty of Economics/ University of Algarve

    Patrícia Pinto, PhD in Quantitative Methods Applied to Economics and Management (QMAEM), is Full Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Coordinator of the Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs) and member of the Directing Board of the Doctoral Programme in Tourism at the University of the Algarve, in Portugal. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being.

  • João Filipe Marques, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs); Faculty of Economics/University of Algarve

    João Filipe Marques holds a PhD in Sociology by the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales of Paris and a MA and a BA in Social Anthropology from the New University of Lisbon. Currently he is Associate Professor with Habilitation (tenured) at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve and integrated researcher at the Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Wellbeing (CinTurs) - where he coordinates the research area: Tourism, Leisure and Society. He has been teaching Social Sciences in Higher Education Institutions since 1994 and was the Director of the BA in Sociology (2004-2013), the MA in Sociology (2008-2024) and the PhD in Sociology (2013-2019) of the University of Algarve. His current research field interests are the sociological study of travel and tourism. He is also Coordinator of the Section «Sociology of Tourism» of the Portuguese Sociological Association.

  • Célia Ramos, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs); University of Algarve/School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT)

    Célia M. Q. Ramos holds a PhD in Quantitative Methods Applied to Economics and Management  from Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, obtained her Master in Electrical and Computers Engineering from the Higher Technical Institute, Lisbon University, and is graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She is Coordinator Professor with Habilitation at School for Management, Hospitality and Tourism, also in the UALG, where she lectures mainly Information Systems. Current research interests includes, information systems, data analytics, electronic tourism, business intelligence, digital marketing, panel data models. Has published in the fields of information systems, marketing and tourism, She is reviewer of several scientific journals. At the level of applied research, she has participated in several funded projects. 

  • Manuela Guerreiro, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs); Faculty of Economics/University of Algarve

    Manuela Guerreiro holds a PhD in Economic and Business Sciences, specialising in Marketing. She is Assistant Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve (Ualg).  She combines her research interests in marketing, arts/culture, and tourism, in a multidisciplinary approach to better understand tourists' behaviour and the hedonic and experiential dimension of consumption, notably in branding and image of tourism destinations. She acts as leader or team member in national and international funded research projects, program leader in the Master of Marketing Management, and member of the Direction Board of PhD in Tourism. She is an integrated member and Co-Coordinator of Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and well-being (CinTurs). Research Centre in Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs), University of Algarve.

  • Hio Kuan Lai, Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs)

    Hio Kuan Lai is a Master's degree holder in Tourism Economics & Regional Development from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve, Portugal. Hio Kuan's research interests concern the residents' attitude in tourism destinations and sustainable tourism development. Hio Kuan has been professionally active in the hospitality industry in Macau for around 10 years.

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Published

05.09.2024

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 4 (2024)

Section

Tourism/Hospitality: Research Papers

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How to Cite

Lança, M., Pereira, L. N., Renda, A. I., Pinto, P., Marques, J. F., Ramos, C., Guerreiro, M., & Lai, H. K. (2024). Building bridges between residents and tourism: Attitudinal support, emotional solidarity, and intentions for pro-tourism behaviours. Tourism & Management Studies, 20(4), 63-71. https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20240405

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