Shall I follow them? How destination image and ambivalent emotions influence tourists’ responsible behavioral intentions

Tourists' disrespectful behaviors that violate social norms and cause harm are widespread in the global tourism market. While existing research typically examines how such behavior affects destinations, less attention focuses on its impact on other tourists who are exposed to it. This study investigates how disrespectful other-tourist behavior (DOB) influences tourists’ responsible behavioral intentions (TRBI) through the mechanism of ambivalent emotions and destination image. Furthermore, the research investigates the moderating effect of destination reputation and tourists' perception of severity (TPS). An online survey was conducted with 350 participants using Credamo, and the data were analyzed with Smart PLS 4.0. Results indicate that DOB negatively impacts TRBI, a relationship mediated by ambivalent emotions and destination image. Notably, a strong destination reputation can mitigate these negative effects, whereas TPS can intensify ambivalent emotions. This study provides theoretical and practical insights for reducing the negative impacts of DOB on the promotion of responsible tourism.