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Underlying Factors of Tourist Social Responsibility (TSR) within the COVID-19 Context: An Empirical Investigation of the Saudi Tourism Market

Author

Listed:
  • Ayman Kassem

    (Department of Tourism and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Hail University, Hail 81411, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ahmad Muhammad Ragab

    (Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University, El Minia 61519, Egypt)

  • Abdullah Alomran

    (Department of Tourism and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Hail University, Hail 81411, Saudi Arabia)

  • Eid Alotaibi

    (Department of Tourism and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Hail University, Hail 81411, Saudi Arabia)

  • Tarek AbdelAzim Ahmed

    (Department of Tourism and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Hail University, Hail 81411, Saudi Arabia)

  • Eman Shaker

    (Tourism Studies Department, Higher Institute of Tourism and Hotels in King Mariout, Alexandria 23713, Egypt)

  • Abdallah Alajloni

    (Department of Tourism and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Hail University, Hail 81411, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

The current literature on social responsibility in tourism is criticized for its bias in focusing on business ethics and responsibility while neglecting the tourist perspective. This paper aims to fill this gap by exploring the underlying factors of tourist social responsibility (TSR) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the Saudi tourism market. Based on the common scale development procedures, including a thorough review of the literature, identifying TSR domains and items, purifying the measurement scale, and demonstrating its reliability, a five-dimensional 24-item scale is developed. The findings reveal that TSR can be measured based on five distinct factors: (1) “Responsibility for legal and social aspects”, (2) “Responsibility for COVID-19 health issues”, (3) “Responsibility for altruism and solidarity”, (4) “Responsibility for supporting socially responsible businesses”, and (5) “Responsibility for environmental impacts”. Moreover, the results confirm the significant relationship between TSR attitude and tourists’ intention to behave socially. These findings enable policymakers to understand the TSR notion and factors influencing tourists to be more socially responsible during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to realize a more resilient and sustainable tourism sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Ayman Kassem & Ahmad Muhammad Ragab & Abdullah Alomran & Eid Alotaibi & Tarek AbdelAzim Ahmed & Eman Shaker & Abdallah Alajloni, 2021. "Underlying Factors of Tourist Social Responsibility (TSR) within the COVID-19 Context: An Empirical Investigation of the Saudi Tourism Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-24, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13342-:d:693360
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