Purpose As a distinctive form of tourism destination, nostalgic consumption spaces have gained increasing popularity among visitors. Despite this growth, many such destinations face persistent challenges, including tourist complaints, operational inefficiencies and difficulties in achieving sustainable long-term development. This study aims to examine the antecedents of tourism advocacy and to investigate how advocacy contributes to the sustainable development of nostalgic consumption spaces. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework, this study develops a conceptual model to explain the formation mechanism of tourism destination advocacy. Using survey data collected from visitors to nostalgic consumption spaces, the proposed relationships among nostalgic emotions, perceived value, tourism advocacy and visitor engagement are empirically tested through quantitative analysis. Findings The results demonstrate that nostalgic emotions and perceived value significantly and positively influence tourism advocacy. Furthermore, tourism advocacy plays a critical role in enhancing visitor engagement, which in turn strengthens competitiveness and supports the sustainable development of nostalgic tourism destinations. Practical implications This study provides important managerial and policy implications for the sustainable management of nostalgic consumption spaces. Specifically, destination managers and policymakers can leverage different dimensions of nostalgia to stimulate visitor advocacy, improve service quality and enhance emotional connections with visitors. These strategies can help mitigate tourist complaints, reduce operational inefficiencies and promote long-term sustainable growth of nostalgic tourism destinations. Originality/value This study advances the literature on tourism advocacy by examining it within the context of nostalgic consumption spaces. By deconstructing nostalgia into distinct dimensions and empirically testing their differential effects using the SOR framework, this research extends theoretical understanding of emotional mechanisms in tourism behavior and offers practical guidance for enhancing destination competitiveness and sustainability.
Wang et al. (2026) studied this question.