Visit intention of non-visitors: A step toward advancing a people-centered image

Incorporating an experimental design, this study examines willingness to travel to another country for the first time after having long-term relations with natives of that country. It advances the term “people-centered image” to refer to the image projected by the natives of a destination. Leveraging the contact hypothesis and relational exchange theory, the study deepens the understanding of the ways in which non-visitors’ visit intentions are associated with perceived destination image, relational trust, and experienced hospitableness in the context of long-term relations with natives of tourist destinations. The results underscore the significant impact of experienced hospitableness on non-visitors to the extent that a low level of trust would no longer make a difference in their visit intentions. Furthermore, non-visitors who have a low perception of a destination still have a higher tendency to be willing to travel to there if they have experienced a high level of hospitableness in their relationships with natives from the destination.