Can cultural participation enhance proximity tourism? Insights from a resident profiling study

Purpose This study aims to segment local residents of a medium-sized city in France that has recently formalized its proximity tourism strategy, based on their perceived place image; explore the willingness of these resident segments to support tourism development using cultural participation variables; and offer insights on how bottom-up strategies and proximity-based tourism can be designed, offering recommendations for destination managers and policymakers seeking to promote inclusive and place-based tourism plans. Design/methodology/approach Latent profile analysis was applied to a sample of 518 residents of Limoges, the historical French porcelain capital and a UNESCO Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts since 2019, based on their responses to a perception survey containing 16 destination image items. The survey also included measures of pro-tourism behavioral intentions, cultural participation (as a proxy for civic engagement), and sociodemographic variables. Chi-squared tests and ANOVA were used to examine whether sociodemographic and behavioral variables varied significantly across latent profiles. While image perception approaches can be applied to any destination, linking resident perceptions to proximity-based tourism is particularly relevant in the context of Limoges – a city with limited transport connections, lacking iconic landmarks and whose tourism strategy primarily targets local families and excursionists – offering insights for aligning tourism plans with what the local community values and engages with. Findings The findings suggest the presence of three resident groups – called Enthusiasts, Moderately satisfied and Discontented – and show that these groups differ in both cultural participation and tourism-related intentions. The Enthusiasts, who hold the most favorable image of the city, were more likely to recommend it as a tourist destination than the Discontented, and they also reported higher levels of participation in cultural activities, specifically visits to museums. Practical implications The results offer valuable insights for destination managers and local authorities aiming to design tourism strategies that align with community perspectives. Elements of local heritage – such as porcelain in this case – that are positively perceived across resident groups can serve as unifying symbols in promotional efforts, strengthening place identity and encouraging individuals to reinterpret familiar surroundings from new perspectives, thereby fostering innovative forms of territorial appeal. Conversely, shared concerns – such as dissatisfaction with transport infrastructure – highlight areas where targeted improvements could enhance both resident quality of life and the visitor experience. Notably, residents who reported higher levels of cultural participation – such as frequent museum visits – also tended to hold a more favorable image of the place. This suggests that encouraging participation in cultural life may positively shape how residents perceive and promote their city. Therefore, policies that increase access to cultural experiences, alongside inclusive urban development and community-based storytelling, may foster broader support for sustainable, proximity-based tourism initiatives. Originality/value While tourist segmentation is common in tourism research, the segmentation of local residents based on their perceived image of the place they live in has received limited attention. This study goes further by examining not only residents’ image perceptions and tourism-related intentions but also their cultural participation, postulating that higher levels of engagement with what the city has to offer may foster stronger support for promotional initiatives. By integrating these dimensions, the study provides one of the few examples of resident segmentation that considers how image perception, cultural participation and tourism intentions jointly inform strategies for attracting proximity visitors, who – because of physical and cultural closeness – may share similar views with local residents. Beyond Limoges, the approach offers transferable insights for post-industrial, medium-sized cities aiming to strengthen their attractiveness through community-aligned tourism development.