Chinese traditional village residents’ behavioural intention to support tourism: an extended model of the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

Purpose Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this paper aims to investigate the effects of residents’ place attachment (PA), subjective norms (SNs) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) on their attitudes towards behaviour (AB) and behavioural intention to support tourism (BI). This paper aims to examine whether residents’ AB mediate the relationships between BI and PA, SNs and PBC. Design/methodology/approach The results are obtained using a quantitative method based on data gathered from self-administered questionnaires completed by 406 residents of Hongcun, a Chinese traditional village. Findings The TPB is successfully used to explain Chinese traditional village residents BI. The findings extend the extant research and render the TPB more widely applicable. This study confirms that the inclusion of PA within the framework of the TPB is valid and satisfactory, demonstrating continued support for the coupling of complementary theories to explain tourism development from a resident perspective. Finally, this study extends the literature on residents’ PA and demonstrates its impact on their attitudes and consequent reactions, thus supplementing the limited evidence on PA as a direct predictor of residents’ BI. Specifically, SNs are the critical factor affecting residents’ AB and their BI. Residents’ AB only mediate the relationship between SNs and their BI. Research limitations/implications This paper only includes PA within the framework of the TPB. More constructs should be incorporated to deepen the understanding of residents’ BI. In addition, the data were only collected in a traditional village. Originality/value This paper is one of the first studies to combine PA with the TPB in research on residents’ BI in a developing country – in this instance, China.