Title: When power is poured from above: how do resident empowerment and tourism ethnocentrism promote engagement of local residents in destination promotion?

Authors: David Amani

Addresses: Department of Business Administration and Management, University of Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania

Abstract: The engagement of local residents in destination promotion is increasingly recognised as essential for ensuring effective and inclusive tourism development. Despite studies that have examined the drivers of local residents' engagement in destination promotion, very few have reported successful cases due to inefficient participation by local residents. Therefore, this study collected data from 307 local residents residing in Dodoma to test a research model examining the interrelationship between residents' empowerment, tourism ethnocentrism, and the engagement of local residents in destination promotion. The analysis of data using structural equation modelling indicates that the engagement of local residents in destination promotion is driven by resident empowerment and tourism ethnocentrism. The study findings shed light on the significance of empowerment as an engine for promoting destination promotion, thereby enriching the debate on the ambassadorship role of local residents and offering valuable insights for policymakers, particularly destination marketing organisations (DMOs).

Keywords: resident empowerment; tourism ethnocentrism; engagement of local residents in destination promotion; destination marketing organisations; DMOs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLTM.2024.140633

International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 2024 Vol.8 No.2, pp.143 - 162

Received: 06 Mar 2024
Accepted: 27 May 2024
Published online: 28 Aug 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article