Understanding the Effect of Place Image and Knowledge of Tourism on Residents’ Attitudes Towards Tourism and Their Word-of-Mouth Intentions: Evidence from Seville, Spain

ABSTRACT As places are greatly shaped and reshaped by tourism, the way residents perceive their place and their knowledge of tourism gradually transform and become more complex and influential. Drawing on the social exchange and social representations theory, this research aimed to explore the effect residents' place image and knowledge of tourism have on perceived tourism impacts, which were subsequently expected to predict residents' support for tourism development and their word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. Data were collected from 484 residents in Seville, the third most visited destination in Spain. The findings suggest that place image shaped residents' perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts, while knowledge of tourism affected only the economic ones. Additionally, place image and support for tourism determined residents' WOM intentions. The study extends current knowledge in mature destinations on the way residents' attitudes are shaped, whereby additional emphasis on place based and resident informed policies is needed.