Importance of residents’ perception of tourists in establishing a reciprocal resident-tourist relationship: An application of tourist attractiveness

This study was guided by the notion of tourist attractiveness to understand residents' perception of tourists in establishing a reciprocal resident-tourist relationship. To explore the concept of reciprocity and how it is associated with tourist attractiveness, this study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed-method approach in the context of Chinese tourists visiting Jeju Island, South Korea. Findings from semi-structured interviews indicate that residents' perception of reciprocity can be conceptualized and measured through the constructs of resident satisfaction and resident commitment. Further, structural equation modeling found that residents are more satisfied and likely to be committed to the relationship with tourists when these visitors are perceived as attractive partners. The results demonstrate a mechanism for explaining how the residents’ perceptions of tourists influence their satisfaction with tourists and intention to host, market, or attract them again in the future.