Exploring the effect of destination social responsibility on responsible tourist behavior: symmetric and asymmetric analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cultivating responsible tourist behavior (RTB) is critical for promoting sustainable development in tourism destinations. This study explored the symmetric and asymmetric effects of causal antecedents on RTB through the lens of the cognitive–affective model and complexity theory. Survey data from 566 Chinese tourists were analyzed using PLS-SEM (symmetric method) and fsQCA (asymmetric method). The PLS-SEM results indicated that perceived DSR enhanced tourists’ destination attachment, thus facilitating low-effort and high-effort RTB. The fsQCA results substantiated and refined these findings by providing particular antecedent configurations for the outcomes. This study concluded by discussing the theoretical and practical implications arising from these findings.