Modeling Resident Attitudes toward the Chinese Inbound Tourist Market

Abstract

ABSTRACTChina has become the largest inbound market for Taiwan’s tourism industry. Even though Taiwan and China have similar cultures, a large inflow of tourists from a single inbound tourism market may present significant challenges. This study aims to examine Taiwanese attitudes toward the Chinese inbound tourism market, the perceptions of tourism impacts generated by this group and the relationship between residents’ impact perceptions and attitudes toward further development of this market. Findings suggest that tourism impacts are significant determinants of overall impact, and overall quality of tourism experience. Findings further suggest that both direct and indirect relationships exist between residents’ impact perceptions and their attitudes toward the Chinese tourism market while both the overall impact perceptions and overall quality of tourism experience perceptions mediate the relationship between tourism impacts and residents’ attitudes toward the Chinese tourism market. Finally, the study provides practical management strategies to locals towards a specific group of tourists.