Unaware of the Negativity They Cause: Tourists' Superciliousness as a Hurdle to Social Sustainability

Although social interaction is central to travel and supercilious attitudes undermine harmonious interaction and sustainable development, tourism scholarship has not previously examined “superciliousness.” A key distinction between this negative attitude and others (such as superiority or hubris) is that individuals are often unaware of the negative impression they make on others. This dissertation introduces and conceptualizes superciliousness in a tourism context for the first time. As a key global industry, tourism depends on tourists’ attitudes and behaviors for its reputation and sustainable growth. Using a mixed-methods design, the study first employs an exploratory qualitative approach to understand how supercilious attitudes are perceived by others and then develops indicators of such attitudes through a quantitative study. The core theoretical contribution lies in advancing and defining tourists’ supercilious attitudes and providing indicators that enable their measurement and the examination of antecedents and consequences. Practically, the findings offer destinations evidence-based guidance on addressing superciliousness, supporting more harmonious relationships among tourists and hosts, enhancing stakeholder well-being, and promoting social sustainability in tourism.