Burnout at the bazaar: Emotional costs of perceived destination over-commercialization

Perceived Destination over-commercialization (PDOC) is increasingly turning travel destinations into commodified spaces, yet its psychological impacts on tourists remain underexplored. This study introduces destination over-commercialization as a multidimensional stressor that undermines cultural authenticity and experiential quality. Using a stress–appraisal–coping framework, the research investigates how this perception leads to tourist anxiety and emotional exhaustion, which in turn influence resistance to commercial offerings and anti-consumption behaviors. A pro-environmental mindset is proposed to intensify these emotional responses. Study 1 develops and validates a 13-item scale capturing three dimensions: spatial saturation, cultural commodification, and socio-experiential erosion. Study 2 tests the model with data from 542 Chinese tourists, confirming that perceived over-commercialization significantly predicts anxiety and exhaustion, which partially mediate resistance and anti-consumption intentions. A pro-environmental mindset strengthens these emotional pathways. The findings extend stress theory to leisure contexts and challenge the dominant focus on positive emotions in tourism. The new scale offers a practical tool for assessing tourist perceptions, while the results suggest that preserving authenticity and managing saturation can reduce resistance. Segmenting tourists by environmental attitudes may support more ethical and sustainable marketing strategies.