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Crises change how people perceive tourism.
Economic security is becoming more important than overcrowding.
There are three groups: Pro-tourism, sustainable, critics.
Attitudes towards tourism are not fixed - they change.
Abstract of this study:
This study discusses the application of Doxey's irritation index in the face of existential crises.
Based on the COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected at two points in time (before the crisis and after the first wave). The two data series show that residents' attitudes towards tourism are by no means fixed. In times of crisis, negative attitudes towards overcrowded tourist facilities fade into the background, while concerns about the economic sustainability of a region increase.
In an attempt to develop comprehensive descriptions of emerging concerns during existential crises, three archetypes of residents are identified:
- Proponents of positive tourism impacts
- Demanders of sustainable tourism
- Boycotters of further tourism developments.
The theory is supplemented by the recalibration of the irritation index with an empirically based existential crisis perspective, which shows changing attitude patterns and gives rise to discussions about the further development of Doxey's irritation index.
Findings from this study:
- Resident:s attitudes are by no means fixed and perceptions of overcrowding and concerns about reduced economic benefits are situation-dependent.
- The results suggest that residents' perceptions are not solely dependent on the number of tourists, but also on their individual perception of capacity and how much tourism is tolerable.
- Existential crises can not only have a negative impact on tourism destinations, but can also bring about improvements in residents' attitudes.
- The study concludes that the attitudes of residents develop differently and are in a state of constant change
- The results show that the economic dependence on tourism became particularly evident during the crisis. Some residents recognized the positive economic benefits of tourism, while others recognized the risks of focusing too heavily on tourism as an economic factor.
Publication: Sarah Schönherr, Bernhard Fabian Bichler, Birgit Pikkemaat (2023)