Influence of air pollution-related stressors and environmental-social responsibility on destination brand power (Chinese vs. Korean tourists)

Given the serious air pollution in urban destinations, this research assesses the impacts of air pollution-related stressors and destination environmental-social responsibility influences urban destination brand power. A text-mining analysis of travel posts identified three main types of air pollution-related stressors, which were then validated through surveys of 784 tourists from two Asian countries. The study found that Chinese tourists were more impacted by physical risks, while Korean tourists were more concerned with psychological risks. The research underscores the need for culturally sensitive branding strategies to address the negative effects of air pollution on urban destination branding.