The Interplay Between Tourism Ethnocentrism, Residents’ Support for Tourism and Destination Brand Value Co-Creation in Emerging Tourism Destinations: Lessons from Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACT Even though the concept of value co-creation has received significant attention in the field of tourism research, there have been few studies that explore the mechanisms of value co-creation from the perspective of local residents. Therefore, in order to address this significant gap in knowledge within the tourism domain, this study adopts a resident-centered dominant logic to develop a research model and test the hypothesized relationship between tourism ethnocentrism, residents’ support for tourism, and the co-creation of destination brand value. The conceptual model was tested among 357 local residents in Dodoma City, Tanzania, by collecting data through a survey approach. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate a positive relationship between tourism ethnocentrism and residents’ support for tourism. More specifically, residents’ support for tourism was found to mediate the effect of tourism ethnocentrism on the co-creation of destination brand value. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that can foster the co-creation of destination brand value among local residents.