Towards a Better Tourist-Host Relationship: The Role of Social Contact between Tourists’ Perceived Cultural Distance and Travel Attitude.

Abstract

The ambiguous effect of cultural distance on travel attitude and tourist behaviours has long been debated, but its implications are vital to the success of achieving a sustainable touristhost relationship. The study explored the direct and indirect effects of perceived cultural distance on travel attitude by adopting a mixed-methods approach and introducing a multi-dimensional perspective regarding the tourists’ social contact with the local. The mediating role of touristhost social contact was also confirmed. The study found that the relationship between perceived cultural distance and travel attitude is ‘contact elastic’. Results empirically support the coexistence of the paradoxical effects of cultural distance on travel attitude. Implications are provided to policy-makers, practitioners and local communities regarding achieving a sustainable tourist-host bond.