Effects of ideology on visit intention and trust toward a destination

Abstract In today’s world of ideological polarization, ideological events held in a destination may affect potential visitors’ visit intention and trust toward the destination. A quasi-experimental study was used where liberal and conservative potential visitors were exposed to two opposing ideological events (for versus against same-sex marriage event) to be held in a destination. After the exposure to one of these two conditions, participants were then asked about their visit intention and trust and toward the destination. Liberals were significantly more willing to visit a destination during an against same-sex marriage event (against-event) than a for same-sex marriage event (for-event). However, if liberals’ trust toward the destination was damaged when the destination hosted the against-event, then they were less likely to visit the destination. Conservatives’ visit intention and trust toward a destination were not affected differently when exposed to a for- or against-event held in the destination.