Tourists’ socially responsible consumption: Concept and scale development

Abstract

Tourism consumption has been steadily increasing in China, as has its impact on society, the economy, and the environment; thus, it is necessary to promote socially responsible consumption among tourists. Our primary objective was to develop a scale to measure tourists’ socially responsible consumption intention in China. We identified 5 dimensions that we labeled as safeguarding rights and interests, moderating consumption, promotion of local residents’ income, respecting local cultures, and conserving resources. Our scale has the same basic principles as more general socially responsible consumption: maximizing the positive impacts of tourism on the environment, economy, and society, and minimizing the negative impacts. The scale was designed mainly for use at the tourism destination, which is an unfamiliar environment for the tourist. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.