The Impact of Hostile Design on Tourist Uncivil Behavior

The conflict between sustainable tourism and social governance has led to hostile design, aimed at regulating tourist behavior and protecting ecosystems. However, this design approach may contradict principles of equitable rights, yielding unintended negative consequences. Drawing from frustration-aggression framework, this study examines how hostile design influences tourist uncivil behavior. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Results from qualitative interviews and two experiments demonstrate that hostile design not only directly increases uncivil behavior but also indirectly intensifies it through malevolent creativity. Additionally, charging models at tourism attractions moderate the effects of hostile design; tourists at high-charge attractions show higher tendencies toward uncivil behavior, further magnified by malevolent creativity. The findings highlight the unintended backlash from implicit regulatory practices, recommending a shift from confrontational measures toward empathetic governance.