Framing Effects of Messages and Images on the Willingness to Pay for Pro-Poor Tourism Products

Abstract

Pro-poor tourism (PPT) strategies enable the poor to benefit from tourism. This study applies economic and marketing theories in the exploration of PPT. It investigates behavioral economics in tourism by evaluating the framing effects of marketing materials on tourists’ willingness to pay for PPT products. It integrates framing and persuasion theories in the PPT domain and follows a 2 × 3 factorial between-subjects design. Strong messages alone and weak messages with positive or negative images are found to lead to greater willingness to pay. More than half of the study’s respondents were willing to pay more if certain fees went directly to the poor. Different framing effects were found between a tour focused on participation and a tour focused on capacity strategies.