Homelessness in destinations: Tourists' visit intention

Abstract Although the presence of homelessness can challenge a destination's existing representations and undermine tourists' visit intention, its impacts have not received much scholarly attention in the tourism literature. Recognizing this research gap, this study examines the impact of homelessness on tourists' visit intention in Hawaii. In particular, findings reveal that tourists' preceding prosocial behavior and moral emotion affect their intention to visit a destination experiencing homelessness issues. This study also finds a gender difference regarding the effect of preceding prosocial behavior on moral emotion. It contributes to the literature by expanding the discussion of this important social phenomenon in a tourism context. Findings also suggest that destinations could promote socially responsible and sustainable practices to mitigate the effects of homelessness.