Exploring tourist’s socio-cultural aversions, self-congruity bias, attitudes and willingness to participate in indigenous tourism

Abstract

Empirical studies of tourist socio-cultural aversions and their influence on tourist consumption are limited. A socio-cultural aversion describes the avoidance associated with an ingrained dislike for, and distancing from something representative of a specific social or cultural group's identity, and can be implicit or explicit, aggressive or passive. This study explores socio-cultural aversions in the context of Indigenous tourism. The study reveals that while xenophobia and racism can predict the attitudes of both domestic and international tourists towards Indigenous tourism, this does not necessarily result in a non-willingness to participate. However, regarding self-congruity bias, the less participants relate to or identify with Indigenous tourism, the less likely they are willing to participate. This has implications for the appeal and marketing of tourism products, especially those underpinned by socio-cultural components such as Indigenous tourism. The study proposes marketing and product development solutions for destination marketers and tourism operators seeking to enhance appeal for Indigenous tourism experiences.