Intergroup Identity Conflict in Tourism: The Voice of the Tourist

Zhang, Carol Xiaoyue; Fong, Lawrence; McCabe, Scott

Abstract

Over the last decade, political tensions between Hong Kong and mainland China over the territory’s status, culminating with the 2019/20 pro-democracy demonstrations, spilled over into tourism, with rising antagonism among “HongKongers” toward Chinese tourists. Central to these strained relationships are complex identity tensions that position HongKongers as distinct from mainland Chinese, despite being essentially “compatriots.” The sense of belonging to a social group is derived from the interactions that distinguish “us” from “others,” whilst the Chinese have been signified as “others” in this scenario, their perspectives on the issue are poorly understood. This study utilizes social identity theory to unpack these identity positions. Our results uncover changes in Chinese tourists’ reflections on perceived othering they experienced by HongKongers and how identity plays a significant role in redefining relationships between hosts and guests.

Citation

Zhang, C. X., Fong, L., & McCabe, S. (2025). Intergroup Identity Conflict in Tourism: The Voice of the Tourist. Journal of Travel Research, 64(2), 322-336. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231217898

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 15, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 29, 2023
• Publication Date: 2025-02
• Deposit Date: Dec 8, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 10, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Travel Research
• Print ISSN: 0047-2875
• Electronic ISSN: 1552-6763
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 64
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 322-336
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231217898
• Keywords: Intergroup conflict; identity conflict; identity threat; social identity; resident-tourist relationship
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/28150582
• Publisher URL: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/journal/journal-travel-research