The purpose of this research is to conceptualise and analyse the concept of the residents’ apathy toward tourism phenomenon and to investigate how it influences tourism development. To achieve this aim, both resident-based and tourist-based perspectives will be adopted. Firstly, the study reviews and discusses the existing literature devoted to community participation in tourism, paying particular attention to those who refer to, and describe, a kind of “passive” and “apathetic” attitude and behaviour of residents toward tourism development. Specifically, the literature review will focus on considering studies from three main disciplines (psychology, socio-politics and environment); thus, following a multidisciplinary approach, this will lead us to theoretically identify the main dimensions defining residents apathy (i.e. lack of interest, lack of initiative and environmental-based apathy). Secondly, the study aims at investigating the extent to which these different dimensions influence residents’ support for tourism development and their brand ambassadorship behaviour. To achieve this goal, a survey was applied to three convenient samples of residents in three different destinations; namely Olbia (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal) and Isfahan (Iran). Hence, 1,334 questionnaires were used to test the conceptual model. Resident apathy was included in the three main constructs in this stage. Our findings highlight that apathy (and its dimensions) negatively influences residents’ support for tourism and their brand ambassadorship behaviour. Thirdly, this study adopted a tourist-based perspective in order to investigate whether and how residents’ apathy, as perceived by visitors, is able to influence tourists’ perceptions of both service quality and the brand ambassadorship behaviour. To this purpose, visitors from the same tourism destinations used in the resident-based part of the study were interviewed (convenience samples); a total number of 947 completed questionnaires were collected. Adopting a tourist-based perspective, our findings seemed to identify a further dimension of residents’ apathy to be considered (i.e. alienation). Then, our purpose was to test a conceptual model, aiming to analyse how residents’ apathy (lack of interest, lack of initiative, environmental-based apathy and alienation), as perceived by tourists, affects the host-guest interaction process and, more specifically, both the perceived service quality and visitors’ behavioural intentions. The statistical analysis for both the resident-based and tourist-based studies followed a three step system of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Firstly, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was run to reveal the underlying factors in the data. Secondly, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to further confirm the structure of the identified factors. Then, finally, a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses and to validate the conceptual models. In addition, a multi-group analysis was adopted to investigate whether any differences existed in the way the model worked in the three different research settings. Based on our findings, the contributions of this study to the current body of academic knowledge and managerial implications are discussed, together with the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.

Residents’ apathy and its influence on tourism development

GHASEMI, VAHID
2018-03-26

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to conceptualise and analyse the concept of the residents’ apathy toward tourism phenomenon and to investigate how it influences tourism development. To achieve this aim, both resident-based and tourist-based perspectives will be adopted. Firstly, the study reviews and discusses the existing literature devoted to community participation in tourism, paying particular attention to those who refer to, and describe, a kind of “passive” and “apathetic” attitude and behaviour of residents toward tourism development. Specifically, the literature review will focus on considering studies from three main disciplines (psychology, socio-politics and environment); thus, following a multidisciplinary approach, this will lead us to theoretically identify the main dimensions defining residents apathy (i.e. lack of interest, lack of initiative and environmental-based apathy). Secondly, the study aims at investigating the extent to which these different dimensions influence residents’ support for tourism development and their brand ambassadorship behaviour. To achieve this goal, a survey was applied to three convenient samples of residents in three different destinations; namely Olbia (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal) and Isfahan (Iran). Hence, 1,334 questionnaires were used to test the conceptual model. Resident apathy was included in the three main constructs in this stage. Our findings highlight that apathy (and its dimensions) negatively influences residents’ support for tourism and their brand ambassadorship behaviour. Thirdly, this study adopted a tourist-based perspective in order to investigate whether and how residents’ apathy, as perceived by visitors, is able to influence tourists’ perceptions of both service quality and the brand ambassadorship behaviour. To this purpose, visitors from the same tourism destinations used in the resident-based part of the study were interviewed (convenience samples); a total number of 947 completed questionnaires were collected. Adopting a tourist-based perspective, our findings seemed to identify a further dimension of residents’ apathy to be considered (i.e. alienation). Then, our purpose was to test a conceptual model, aiming to analyse how residents’ apathy (lack of interest, lack of initiative, environmental-based apathy and alienation), as perceived by tourists, affects the host-guest interaction process and, more specifically, both the perceived service quality and visitors’ behavioural intentions. The statistical analysis for both the resident-based and tourist-based studies followed a three step system of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Firstly, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was run to reveal the underlying factors in the data. Secondly, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to further confirm the structure of the identified factors. Then, finally, a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses and to validate the conceptual models. In addition, a multi-group analysis was adopted to investigate whether any differences existed in the way the model worked in the three different research settings. Based on our findings, the contributions of this study to the current body of academic knowledge and managerial implications are discussed, together with the limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.
26-mar-2018
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11584/256003
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