The impacts of under-tourism and place attachment on residents’ life satisfaction

The tourism industry is highly sensitive to negative environmental factors, as can be seen in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, when many countries and regions shifted from over-tourism to under-tourism, resulting in the continuation of multiple serious impacts on destinations. To systematically reveal the specific impacts of under-tourism on tourism destinations, this study aims to (a) understand the impact of resident perceptions of under-tourism; (b) investigate the relationship between place attachment and resident perceptions of under-tourism, and (c) examine the relationships between the resident perception of under-tourism and life satisfaction. The perceived impacts of under-tourism are subdivided into positive economic impact, negative economic impact, positive social impact, negative social impact, and positive environmental impact, based on the triple bottom line and social exchange theory. The research was conducted with the involvement of 296 local residents and foreign workers in Macau. The findings show that place attachment has a positive impact on their perceived positive economic impact and positive social impact. Resident perceptions of positive economic impact, positive social impact, and positive environmental impact have a positive influence on their satisfaction with life, and negative economic impact and negative social impact have a negative influence on their satisfaction. Using the results of this study we expand the literature on social exchange theory in tourism, broaden the theory of resident perceptions of impact, and also provide relevant practical suggestions for destinations to recover and maintain sustainable development based on tourism.