How do slow tourism messages on social media affect consumers’ mindsets? The impact of ethical consciousness

Purpose This study examines how consumer ethical consciousness reinforces the effectiveness of slow tourism messages on social media. Specifically, it explores how these messages generate greater momentary happiness, ultimately improving the consumer mindset in the form of attitudes and behaviours toward slow tourism. Design/methodology/approach Using a single-factor, between-subjects experimental design, in which message orientation on social media is manipulated by incorporating either slow versus mass tourism characteristics, this study examines the impact of a slow-oriented message on attitudes and engagement intentions toward slow tourism. Findings The results confirm that ethical consciousness moderates the impact of the slow message on attitudes and intention to engage in slow tourism. When ethical consciousness is high, such messages lead to more favourable attitudes and a stronger intention to engage in slow tourism. Furthermore, this relationship is mediated by momentary happiness. Practical implications This research makes significant contributions by demonstrating the effectiveness of tailoring messages with slow characteristics and how these characteristics induce attitudinal changes towards more slow behaviours in ethically conscious consumers. Originality/value Limited research has explored the impact of adopting a slow orientation in tourism communication. This study emphasises the importance of integrating a slow tourism approach into communication strategies on social media platforms. Incorporating slow tourism principles strongly resonates with ethically conscious consumers, fostering a deeper alignment between tourism practices and their values.