Social representations of tourists' deviant behaviours: An analysis of Reddit comments

Abstract

Tensions between tourists and residents due to the formers' behaviour are frequently observed in destinations. In such a milieu, understanding residents' perception of tourist behaviour is important to help draft policies designed to engender a peaceful co-existence. Using social representation theory as a lens, this study thematically analysed 2088 comments from 10 subreddits to explore how residents socially define tourists' deviant behaviour. The analysis revealed 13 behaviours that have direct or indirect social, economic and/or environmental impacts from the perspective of residents. The findings have valuable and practical implications for stakeholders in tourism destinations.