The influence of tourism destination safety reminder information frame on tourists' safety compliance behavior

Abstract

Because of the unusual environmental attributes of tourism activities, how to effectively inform and remind tourists of the risk information of tourism destinations is of great significance to guide tourists' safety compliance behavior, which is critical in preventing safety accidents for destinations. Using emotion appraisal theory, framing effect theory, and identity theory, this study designs three experiments to explore the main effect of safety reminder information frame (gain-type vs. loss-type) on safety compliance behavior, the mediating effect of tourists' empathy, and the moderating effect of family identity by treating safety reminder information as stimulus material. We found that as compared with gain-type, loss-type safety reminder information frame is more effective in encouraging safety compliance behavior among tourists. Second, tourists' empathy serves as an important mediator between safety reminder information and safety compliance behavior. Third, this study not only finds that the impact of tourists' empathy on safety compliance behavior is greater for tourists with a stronger family identity but also that family identity does matter in the impact of tourism destination safety reminder on tourists’ empathy. To summarize, loss-type safety reminder information frames are more effective in activating tourists' empathy, thereby boosting safety compliance behavior among tourists with stronger family identity. In terms of the primary driver of safety compliance behavior, it is recommended that the destination adopt the loss-type frame to edit and publish the safety reminder information to induce safety compliance behavior. These findings have significant implications for the formulation and enforcement of safety reminders in tourist destinations.