Linking Regenerative Travel and Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in Kaua’i Island (Hawaii): Moderating-Mediating Effects of Travel-Shaming and Foreign Tourist Attractiveness

Zaman, Umer; Aktan, Murat; Agrusa, Jerome; Khwaja, Muddasar Ghani

Abstract

“Leaving the place behind, better than before” is the regenerative state-of-mind approach to reset, rethink and move forward, beyond sustainable tourism. Despite growing global attention, empirical evidence supporting tourism developments through regenerative travel remains extremely rare. Moreover, rampant incidents of travel-shaming across tourism destinations undermine foreign tourist attractiveness, ultimately affecting residents’ support for tourism developments. To address this overlooked and potential research gap, the present study develops and tests a holistic moderated-mediation model of resident’s support for tourism development, involving regenerative travel, travel-shaming and foreign tourist attractiveness. Drawing on study data from 463 islanders in Kauai (Hawaii) and the use of structural equation modeling via Mplus, the study provides pioneering evidence on the effects of regenerative travel on residents’ support for tourism development, under moderating-mediating influence of travel-shaming and foreign tourist attractiveness. The present study implications extend to the development and validation of a new scale for regenerative travel. The study findings offer strategic insights and directions for imagining new business models, resources, and relationships within regenerative tourism in the post-pandemic world.

Citation

Zaman, U., Aktan, M., Agrusa, J., & Khwaja, M. G. (2022). Linking Regenerative Travel and Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in Kaua’i Island (Hawaii): Moderating-Mediating Effects of Travel-Shaming and Foreign Tourist Attractiveness. Journal of Travel Research, 62(4), 782-801. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221098934

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 3, 2022
• Publication Date: Jun 3, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jan 13, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Travel Research
• Print ISSN: 0047-2875
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 62
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 782-801
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221098934
• Keywords: regenerative travel, foreign tourist attractiveness, travel shaming, residents’ support for tourism development, social exchange theory, emotional solidarity theory, social disruption theory
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1017977