Analysis of Residents’ Social Identity, Tourism Engagement, and Propensity for Tourism Advocacy

The relationship between tourism development and its impacts on resident attitudes toward tourism has been widely discussed in literature. Not much attention, however, has been paid to residents’ role in tourism from the perspective of place identity theories. Based on a conceptual framework introduced by Palme, Koenig-Lewis, and Jones, this study applied the social identity theory in examining the relationship between resident’s place-based social identity and support for tourism. The results showed that both the cognitive and affective social identity components had significant effects on resident’s conative attitudes of support for tourism. What remains unsolved is which component is more significant and should be targeted in destination marketing. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed and recommended.