Residents’ place attachment and tourist sexual behaviour in a European coastal tourist destination

Purpose Despite extensive research into residents’ attitudes towards tourist behaviour, little has been explored about the extent to which visitors’ practices contribute to the formation of residents’ bonds with their place of residence, which is also a tourist destination. Therefore, this research aims to determine how residents’ perception of tourist sexual behaviour affects their engagement with the urban environment and the image of the city and tourist destination in which they live. To structure and interpret the various attitudes of the residents surveyed, the authors used a conceptual framework based on identity process theory (IPT) in relation to residents’ attitudes and the impact of a particular dimension of tourist behaviour – their sexual practices – on their perceived connection to their place of residence. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 457 residents in Salou to collect data regarding their assessments of the sexual behaviour of tourists in their community. A cluster analysis was used to classify residents according to their attitudes and stances towards the different sexual practices of visitors and their evaluation of the importance of those practices for current and future tourism at the destination. Finally, an analysis of variance was performed to compare significant differences in attitudes towards tourist behaviour and the attachment to Salou among the different segments of residents identified. Findings The study identified four groups of residents classified by their attitudes towards tourist sexual behaviour: permissive bystanders, supportive expectants, ambivalent pragmatics and opposed rejectors. Two attitudinal components explain the differences between the groups: tolerance and personal interest, which are associated with how residents construct their bond with Salou in terms of place attachment (PA). These results align well with IPT, as they highlight processes of assimilation, evaluation and the contribution of symbolic significance to the place of residence, mediated by the perception of tourist sexual behaviour. Practical implications Some practical recommendations are offered to tourist destination administrations regarding the differences among residents’ attitudes towards tourist behaviour and PA. The findings can serve as a valuable tool for designing tourism policies aimed at selecting markets, as well as for marketing and promoting tourist destinations. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in that it considers the role of tourist sexual behaviour as a compositional element of the identity of the place – a tourist destination – where residents live, providing new empirical data on an under-researched academic issue. This article attempts to contribute to a critical perspective by conceptualising and introducing new elements for understanding the identity, attraction and sexuality of tourist sites. The study also connects with the urban analysis of tourist destinations, incorporating the role of sex into the social construction of the tourist city, the creation of identity and image and the attribution of symbolic meaning to destination settings.