The effectiveness of information signs in deterring visitor vandalism

Abstract

Visitors' depreciative behavior is a problematic issue for tourist management. Management authorities often attempted to prevent these unwelcome behaviors by creating information signs. However, are these signs effective? What types of information content and color usage produce better effects? These questions have yet to be critically examined. In this study, visitors not following paved paths and treading over vegetation are recorded in five experimental settings: one control setting with no signs and four other scenarios each with different texts and colors – all with hidden cameras monitoring results. The results suggest that information signs significantly reduce visitor depreciative behavior to vegetation, and punitive warning signs are more effective than positive educational signs. In addition, "cold" signs with blue backgrounds achieved better results than "warm" signs with red backgrounds. The study also revealed that when one does not obey the signs, others will follow; younger people were more likely to commit deviant depreciative behavior. Management implications•Information signs effectively reduce visitor vandalism•Punitive warning signs produce a more favorable outcome than positive educational signs.•“Cold” signs with blue backgrounds achieved better results than “warm” signs with red backgrounds.•When one does not obey information signs, others will follow.•Younger people show the most deviant vandalism behavior.