How do positive host-guest interactions in tourism alter the indicators of tourists’ general attachment styles? A moderated mediation model

Host-guest interactions have been increasingly investigated in tourism research, but their effect on tourists' psychological healing needs is uncertain. This study establishes a model to examine the influence of positive host-guest interactions on tourists' general attachment styles using the attachment theory in psychology and assuming that the alteration of the indicators of general attachment styles reflects the healing effect. Autobiographical memory and emotion regulation are used as the serial mediating variables of this effect, and place attachment style is the moderating variable. Two studies, i.e., a survey and an experiment, were used to test the model. The findings supported all hypotheses in both studies. This study theoretically contributes to the definition and measurement of place attachment styles and finds the effects of general attachment styles on place attachment styles and host-guest interactions are the opposite. Strategies to facilitate host-guest interactions in tourism are provided.