Encounters with cuteness: Multispecies ethnographic insights into giant pandas’ agency and tourist perceptions in wildlife tourism

Cute animals attract visitors. This study adopts a multispecies ethnographic approach to deconstruct the anthropocentric, unidirectional construction of “cuteness.” It explores how giant pandas’ cuteness shapes tourists’ cognition and emotional experiences in wildlife tourism, while motivating a commitment to conservation. Cuteness, as a form of agency enacted by giant pandas, manifests their “agentic subject” status through their appearance, behavior, and interactions with tourists, which all shape tourist perceptions. Moreover, pandas’ cuteness elicits emotions like tenderness, care and concern, prompting attention to both the welfare of individual pandas and species survival. The study thereby provides empirical support for the synergy between animal conservation and tourism value. Transcending anthropocentrism, this study frames “cuteness” as a form of animal agency. It uncovers the role of cuteness in structuring interspecies relationships, ultimately orienting toward a multispecies coexistence ethic that acknowledges species’ intrinsic value.