Togetherness and (work)Place: Insights from Workers and Managers during Australian COVID-Induced Lockdowns

(1) Background: Pandemic-imposed lockdowns have heightened our awareness of the value of (work)place and made apparent the role it plays in establishing our sense of belonging and professional identity. The opportunity to work remotely during the pandemic has given us an appreciation of the benefits from access to increased flexibility, but there is consistent evidence emerging showing how much workers miss in-office social and learning interactions. This paper focuses on results about (i) reported perceived effectiveness and performance, (ii) sense of adjustment to remote working, and (iii) sense of belonging during the first two COVID-19-induced lockdowns, as reported by managers and workers in Australia in 2020. Findings shed light onto (i) how remote working experience affected our connection to, and the importance of, (work)place and (ii) how to harness insights towards creating spaces responsive to the activities we prefer to undertake in the workplace, permitting employees to choose the workstyle and pattern that suits their professional role and personal circumstances. (2) Methods: Correlational and thematic analyses were conducted on findings from 1579 online surveys focusing on remote working experiences during the first and second rounds of COVID-19-imposed lockdowns. A total of 668 managers and 911 workers from 12 different industry sectors participated in two rounds of the Bates Smart remote work survey (BSRWS). Surveys targeted knowledge workers of all career stages, age, and experience. (3) Results: Employees felt (i) technologically supported and productive whilst working from home, but (ii) aspects of connection, collaboration, and sense of belonging suffered;(iii) collaboration and togetherness are main motivators for returning to the office. Managers' experiences were significantly different with (i) perceived productivity, collaboration, knowledge sharing, sense of belonging, and performance dropping;(ii) face-to-face interaction and business development were key priorities for returning to the office with (iii) challenges of mentoring and managing emotional wellbeing of teams evident. (4) Conclusions: From these surveys we conclude space is an enabler of organisational culture and professional identity, playing a critical role in establishing psychologically safe and equitable workplaces. This paper reports snapshot data showing knowledge workers' experiences and effects of WFH under strict lockdown circumstances on wellbeing, productivity, and culture over time. It proposes two lenses (togetherness and place), through which the future workplace should be considered by industry and researchers alike. © 2022 by the authors.

The disappearance of Bangkok's Artbox: examining the challenges of sustaining a mobile night market during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the reasons for the shutdown of a mobile night market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of tourists was obviously one of the causes but social reasons must also exist. The study investigates territoriality, collectivization and human relations in urban social spaces which are essential for the sustainability of a market than solely short-term profit and unconnected customers. Design/methodology/approach: In this study qualitative methods are used, including reviewing contents, semi-structured interviews with vendors and customers, and informant interviews. Findings: Drawing from urban space theories, this paper argues that trendy markets catering for diverse market segments sustain their business. Once the market has shifted away from local Thai customers to main tourists, it loses its base and becomes vulnerable in territoriality negotiation. Practical implications: The findings and model provide practice information for local authorities, town planners and night market operators in the design of open-air marketplaces. Such knowledge pinpoints the importance of connecting place and people in order to sustain a business. Originality/value: Studies on mobile marketplaces are rare. The findings address the "detaching” process and consequence from the perspective of place attachment. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2021-0218. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The nature of a pandemic: Testing the relationship between access to nature, nature relatedness, wellbeing and belonging in nature using polynomial regression with response surface analysis

Past research has found that spending time in nature fosters increased wellbeing across both physical and mental health (Brymer et al., 2014;Hartig et al., 2011), and many theories suggest that participation in nature is something that carries similar benefits for all people (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of outdoor recreation and leisure increased significantly given that it offered a space for interaction, community, and enjoyment with decreased risk of transmission. Amidst COVID-19, nature offers wellbeing that could help individuals cope with the added anxiety, isolation and uncertainty amongst the pandemic. However, it is likely that not all individuals had similar access to this benefit, but little research has explored if this is the case. This study examines wellbeing outcomes and one's sense of belonging to a natural place as they relate to one's nature relatedness and access to nature. We hypothesized that the highest wellbeing benefit would be associated with those who had both high access to nature and high nature relatedness scores, and lowest for those without access to nature. Survey data from 558 participants was used to test these hypotheses. We implemented two polynomial regressions with response surface analysis to examine the congruent and discrepant effects of nature relatedness and access to nature on both wellbeing and belonging in nature. Findings suggest that those with the most access to nature and higher nature relatedness experience higher rates of wellbeing and a stronger sense of belonging to natural spaces. © 2022

Perceived social impacts of tourism and quality-of-life: a new conceptual model

Residents' overall well-being and quality-of-life require a deeper understanding of their perceived social impacts of tourism to determine appropriate management strategies to promote behaviours in support of tourism development. Aligning with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, this paper proposes a new framework for residents' quality-of-life. Bringing together multi-disciplinary evidence from environmental, social and cognitive psychology, political science and tourism, this study critically examines how residents' perceived social impacts of tourism and their interpersonal trust can make them become more place attached and protect their tourism resources. The framework proposes that residents' perceived social impacts of tourism exerts a direct influence on residents' interpersonal trust. It further posits that residents' perceived social impacts of tourism and their interpersonal trust exert a direct influence on residents' place attachment. The proposed model further considers place attachment to exert a direct influence on residents' pro-social and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Pro-social behaviour is proposed to influence pro-environmental behaviour. Further pro-social and pro-environmental behaviours are proposed to influence residents' support for tourism development. The framework then considers residents' support for tourism development to exert a direct influence on residents' overall quality-of-life. The theoretical contributions, practical implications for sustainable community tourism and sustainable tourism in general and the limitations of the study are discussed. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Factors affecting the intentions of youngsters in switching to a virtual third place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: the place attachment and push-pull mooring theory

Purpose>This study aims to propose a theoretical model to investigate factors affecting the intentions of youngsters in switching to a virtual third place during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approach>This study obtained 221 responses from Indonesian youngsters, which was used to validate the proposed model using structural equation modeling analysis.Findings>The direct effect indicated that perceived behavior and social distance attitude were the most significant predictors of intention followed by boredom and place attachment (PA), and the indirect effect of loneliness and social presence. In addition, moderating impact contributed significantly by providing profound knowledge toward the result.Originality/value>The combination of PA and personal traits based on the push–pull–mooring framework relating to the virtual third place adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic offered a comprehensive model that has not been explored extensively by previous studies.

Place Attachment and Destination Loyalty of Religious Tourists in Chiang Mai, Thailand: Examining the Role of Emotional Solidarity and Risk Perception

Chiang Mai is the most popular destination in Thailand for religious tourism. Religious tourism refers to contemporary travel to religion-themed tourist destinations for religious and/or recreational purposes. The growth of religious tourism is inextricably linked with the worldwide increase in spiritual searching by individuals of all ages, cultures, and religions. Religious destinations are places of development, commitment, and vitality;however, they often attract attention owing to their emotional significance. This research performs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) as a quantitative method to investigate the destination loyalty of tourists through their emotional connection with a place, emotional solidarity with the locals, and risk perception. Data was collected from 543 Thai tourists who have visited temples in Chiang Mai. Results indicate that place attachment has a direct influence on tourists' emotional solidarity. In addition, the emotional solidarity of the tourists with the locals is a significant predictor of their destination loyalty. Furthermore, this research finds that the emotional solidarity of the tourists mediates the relationship between their place attachment and destination loyalty. Moreover, the risk perception of the tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that the moderating effect of their emotional solidarity and destination loyalty is insignificant. Finally, the implications of the findings recommend that religious destinations should organize local religious events and promote them to tourists. Establishing a sense of solidarity among tourists, religious destinations, and nearby communities, would strengthen destination loyalty among tourists. © 2022, Thammasat University. All rights reserved.

The nature of a pandemic: Testing the relationship between access to nature, nature relatedness, wellbeing and belonging in nature using polynomial regression with response surface analysis

Past research has found that spending time in nature fosters increased wellbeing across both physical and mental health (Brymer et al., 2014;Hartig et al., 2011), and many theories suggest that participation in nature is something that carries similar benefits for all people (Jordan, 2015;Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989;Ulrich, 1983). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of outdoor recreation and leisure increased significantly given that it offered a space for interaction, community, and enjoyment with decreased risk of transmission. Amidst COVID-19, nature offers wellbeing that could help individuals cope with the added anxiety, isolation and uncertainty amongst the pandemic. However, it is likely that not all individuals had similar access to this benefit, but little research has explored if this is the case. This study examines wellbeing outcomes and one's sense of belonging to a natural place as they relate to one's nature relatedness and access to nature. We hypothesized that the highest wellbeing benefit would be associated with those who had both high access to nature and high nature relatedness scores, and lowest for those without access to nature. Survey data from 558 participants was used to test these hypotheses. We implemented two polynomial regressions with response surface analysis to examine the congruent and discrepant effects of nature relatedness and access to nature on both wellbeing and belonging in nature. Findings suggest that those with the most access to nature and higher nature relatedness experience higher rates of wellbeing and a stronger sense of belonging to natural spaces.

Determinants and mechanisms driving energy-saving behaviours of long-stay hotel guests: Comparison of leisure, business and extended-stay residential cases

The global hospitality industry is fast-turning sustainable and environmentally friendly. Behaviour-driven energy conservation is an emerging green hotel operation strategy to support this change. The long-stay accommodation services have gained momentum in the hospitality sector since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the characteristics of long-stay hotel guests are often overlooked in sustainable interventions. Based on an empirical survey in China, this study aims to explore the factors driving energy-saving behaviours of long-stay hotel guests and to compare their effects on guests for different visiting purposes (leisure, business, and extended-stay resident). The analysis indicates that attitude, personal norm and place attachment present a direct contribution to energy-saving behaviour. Besides, the results support that attitude and personal norm connect environmental values and energy-saving behaviour. Both altruistic and biospheric values have positive effects, while egoistic values seem to play a negative role. Biospheric values have stronger impact on attitude and personal norm of business guests. Place attachment has a stronger influence on extended-stay residents while its contribution to energy-saving behaviours of business guests is smaller than other guests. Besides, leisure guests are more sensitive to moral obligations. This research sheds novel lights on the psychological perspectives of the observed heterogeneity of energy-saving behaviours of hotel guests with different visiting purposes. The findings provide hotel operators with a novel theoretical reference for targeted energy-saving interventions to promote energy-saving actions of long-term hotel guests. The study, therefore, can contribute to sustainable tourism policymaking and behaviour-driven hotel energy management.

PLACE ATTACHMENT, HOST TOURISTS’ INTERACTION AND RESIDENT WELCOMING ATTITUDE: A POST COVID-19 ASSESSMENT TOWARDS TOURISM RECOVERY IN LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA

The most recent COVID-19 pandemic has posed a risk to the world economy that has never been seen before. Therefore, the welcoming attitude of the residents in tourist destinations has become a concern for post-COVID-19 tourism recovery. There seem to be many issues concerning the interactions of hosts and tourists as Covid-19 fear exists. Thus, this study aims to examine the role of place attachment and host tourists' attractions on the welcoming attitude of the residents in Langkawi, Malaysia. The researchers conducted a quantitative method and cross-sectional approach in this study. Researchers distributed 600 questionnaires to the respondents in Langkawi, Malaysia, and 461 usable questionnaires were returned and proceeded for further analysis. This study used structural equation modelling to use Smart PLS version 3 software. In structural equation modelling, the measurement and structural model of the study were reported. The study found that place attachment and host tourists interaction play a significant role in maximizing residents' welcoming attitude. The practitioners and academicians will be benefited from the outcome study while exploring tourism recovery strategies and post-Covid tourist arrival. © 2022 Editura Universitatii din Oradea. All rights reserved.

What makes Indian domestic tourists crowd-friendly in the post-COVID-19 phase?

Purpose This study aims to explore the good crowding effect among Indian domestic travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the city destination. This study uses the framework of social motivation theory to achieve the objective. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative research design by taking the case of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 respondents, and themes were drawn manually. Findings The analysis found four themes that create a good crowding effect among domestic tourists, namely, convenience and price;familiarity and place attachment;social affiliation;and safety. The themes indicated that despite the pandemic, and constant occurrences of new variants, Indian domestic tourists' on-site attitude towards crowding was favourable. Research limitations/implications Firstly, the good crowding effect during the pandemic could have been better understood using empirical data. Secondly, the results cannot be generalized, specifically for developed economies. Practical implications This study offers practical implications to destination managers and local administrative bodies for whom achieving sustainability in urban tourism has always been concerning. These include developing infrastructural facilities, encouraging cultural activities in city centres and improving the perception of safety to sustain the good crowding effect. Social implications The affective dimension involved in making a travelling decision played a significant role in the post-pandemic phase. While suppliers needed survival, tourists needed social affiliation and escape from the mandated home isolation due to multiple phases of COVID-19 lockdown in India. This study adds value to society by emphasising that the need for social affiliation among travellers remains intact, and the tourism industry should embrace this transformation. Originality/value While most of the pandemic-related studies criticised crowd and tourists' crowd averting behaviour, this study reported that the good crowding effect could also be an outcome owing to different factors. Therefore, this study offers distinctive nuance of tourists' behaviour in the post-COVID-19 phase, allowing destination managers and tourism stakeholders to re-think their strategies.

How does nature heal tourists in the context of COVID-19? The perspective of the emotional mechanism

Nature has healing powers that provide physical and mental benefits to tourists and reduce their anxiety related to COVID-19. However, few empirical studies have examined the emotional mechanism that induces tourists to feel satisfied with, rather than anxious about, their lives. We explain the underlying impact mechanism that connects nature and subjective well-being in a natural heritage context by analyzing data collected from a sample of 534 tourists in Wulingyuan (south-central China). Our study revealed interesting and meaningful findings: (a) nature has healing powers that directly and indirectly (via awe and place attachment) influence tourists' sub-jective well-being;(b) tourists with a relatively low level of positive emotions who become attached to a destination, subsequently experience a greater degree of healing;and (c) there are significant gender differences concerning the healing powers of nature among tourists. These findings contribute to well-being research by highlighting the underlying emotional mechanism whereby nature influences tourists' subjective well-being. The paper also demonstrates the moderating effects of positive emotions and gender in the proposed model, which offers valuable practical insights for governments in tourist destinations.

Interaction between psychological ownership and psychological resilience toward the destination

The tourism sector was badly affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, creating thereby a need to advance knowledge on developing strategies for bringing tourists to back their favourite destinations. Although studies in tourism literature in the last two years addressed several issues relating to the pandemic, ironically not many have explored the role of tourists' attitude towards a destination. Specifically, there have hardly been any discussions on the tourists' psychological ownership vis-a-vis destination affinity (DA). It's an irony because they play crucial roles in leading tourists to revisit their favourite destinations. Using the 'Psychological Resilience Theory', this study focuses on the Covid-19 crisis and examines the relationship between attitude towards the destination, psychological ownership towards the destination, DA, and desire to revisit the destination post-Covid-19 crisis. Data (N = 274) was collected online from Indian tourists and hypothesis testing was done using PROCESS SPSS macro. The findings of the study indicated the mediating impact of DA and moderating role of psychological resilience. This study offers several important implications for tourism literature and the sector at large.

The disappearance of Bangkok's Artbox: examining the challenges of sustaining a mobile night market during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose - This study aims to investigate the reasons for the shutdown of a mobile night market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of tourists was obviously one of the causes but social reasons must also exist. The study investigates territoriality, collectivization and human relations in urban social spaces which are essential for the sustainability of a market than solely short-term profit and unconnected customers. Design/methodology/approach - In this study qualitative methods are used, including reviewing contents, semi-structured interviews with vendors and customers, and informant interviews. Findings - Drawing from urban space theories, this paper argues that trendy markets catering for diverse market segments sustain their business. Once the market has shifted away from local Thai customers to main tourists, it loses its base and becomes vulnerable in territoriality negotiation. Practical implications - The findings and model provide practice information for local authorities, town planners and night market operators in the design of open-air marketplaces. Such knowledge pinpoints the importance of connecting place and people in order to sustain a business. Originality/value - Studies on mobile marketplaces are rare. The findings address the "detaching" process and consequence from the perspective of place attachment.

Understanding urban festival attendees' involvement in Hong Kong dragon boat festival

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of involvement, satisfaction and festival attachment on urban Dragon Boat Festival (DBF) attendees' future intentions. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 307 participants of the Hong Kong DBF using a survey instrument. Data was analysed using a series of analytical tools including factor analysis, structural equation modelling and bootstrap mediation. Findings Results indicate that festival attendees' involvement and satisfaction directly influenced future intentions with the DBF, but this was not the case for festival attachment. Consequently, satisfaction is a key puzzle piece for understanding why DBF attendees may not revisit despite a positive attachment to the DBF. Research limitations/implications The study draws implications for DBF promotion as an urban cultural event. Originality/value This study sheds light on the key drivers of attendees' future intentions among both residents and tourists to urban festivals. A noble contribution to knowledge in this regard is that attachment alone is not sufficient to induce loyalty among DBF patrons. Essentially, satisfaction is a vital element for repeat visits. The study also makes important distinctions in determining elements of attachment.

Place and post-pandemic flourishing: Disruption, adjustment, and healthy behaviors

This book rekindles the well-known connection between people and place in the context of a global pandemic. The chapters are divided into two sections. In the first section, "Place Attachment During a Pandemic," we review the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent of its impact on place attachment and human-environment interactions. We examine how restrictions in mobility and environmental changes can have a significant psychological burden on people who are dealing with the effect of place attachment disruption that arises during a pandemic. In the second section, "Adjusting to Place Attachment Disruption During and After a Pandemic," we focus on adaptive processes and responses that could enable people to adjust positively to place attachment disruption. We conclude the book by discussing the potential for pro-environmental behavior to promote place attachment and flourishing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing an integrative framework of place flourishing and exploring its implications for theory, research, policy, and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Recovery experience of wellness tourism and place attachment: insights from feelings-as-information theory

Purpose>This study, guided by the feelings-as-information theory, aims to explore the effect of recovery experience of wellness tourism (REWT) on place attachment, alongside an examination into the mediating role of self-perceived health and the moderating role of health goal salience. The research site was traced for two years to monitor the evolution of the proposed model during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approach>The successive independent samples data (in 2020 and 2021, respectively) were collected in Shizhu county, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used with a survey of 1,472 wellness tourists (N2020 = 494, N2021 = 978) to test research hypotheses empirically. Additionally, independent sample t-test and multi-group SEM analysis were used to compare the mean difference of variables and coefficients’ difference between 2020 and 2021.Findings>This study reveals that REWT can increase self-perceived health, resulting in a positive influence on place attachment. By tracing the research site and comparing the successive independent samples data, we found a stronger recovery experience effect of wellness tourism on place attachment alongside a weaker effect on self-perceived health in 2021. The positive relationship between self-perceived health and place attachment is significantly strengthened when health goals are salient.Originality/value>This study investigated the mechanism behind the formation of place attachment in the wellness tourism context and extended understanding on the dynamic nature of the REWTand ongoing evolving person-place relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also provided practical suggestions to benefit industry practitioners by enhancing current understanding of improving experience-based management in wellness destinations.

Online student engagement and place attachment to campus in the new service marketplace: an exploratory study

Purpose>The pandemic has accelerated the use of virtual learning spaces and led to rethinking post-pandemic course delivery. However, it remains unclear whether students’ online engagement in e-servicescapes can influence attachment to a place, i.e. a physical servicescape. This study conducted an exploratory study to inform place attachment and actor engagement literature in an online service context.Design/methodology/approach>Quantitative survey design was used and 98 usable responses were collected from undergraduate and postgraduate students at a major New Zealand university during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 23 items relating to three dimensions of online student engagement and 19 items referring to six dimensions of campus attachment.Findings>Results of the exploratory study indicate that classmate community in online lectures, referring to student–student interactions, can positively influence five of the dimensions of campus attachment, including place identity, place dependence, affective attachment, social bonding and place memory, even though students are physically not on campus. However, it cannot influence place expectation. Moreover, instructor community (student–instructor interaction) and learning engagement (student–content interaction) in online lectures have insignificant impact on campus attachment.Research limitations/implications>This study emphasises the social dimension when interacting in e-servicescapes. Person-based interactions are more influential than content-based interactions for student engagement. Educational service providers should integrate the e-servicescape and the physical servicescape by encouraging more student–student interactions to contribute to service ecosystem well-being at the micro, meso and macro levels.Originality/value>This study indicates that customer-to-customer interaction serves to integrate customer engagement across the digital and physical realms for process-based services like education.

Editorial: Opportunities in the new service marketplace

Purpose This paper aims to identify the opportunities in the service marketplace that have arisen because of the changes brought about by the global pandemic (COVID-19). Design/methodology/approach A conceptual methodological approach is used to analyze trends in the history of service research and discuss how articles presented in this issue help scholars and practitioners with planning for opportunities and confronting challenges in the new (post COVID-19) service marketplace. Findings This special issue puts forth six viewpoints and seven research articles that outline opportunities in the new service marketplace from regional and global perspectives. Further, the research articles presented in this issue identify four opportunities for managers to consider when designing services in the new service marketplace;these are labeled as reassurance and fear reduction, rethinking physical space and supply chains for multichannel service delivery, the rise of local and community importance and resilience building to combat customer discourtesy. Practical implications Managers can understand how the pandemic has profoundly and permanently impacted consumers' perceptions and expectations for service delivery and processes. Originality/value This work presents scholars with a historical overview of trends in service research. The challenges posed by the pandemic represent the beginning of a new era in service research thought and practice as many previously held theories and understandings of consumers' marketplace behaviors have permanently changed because of behavioral changes that transpired during governmental mandated lockdowns.

Predicting place attachment through selfie tourism, memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being

Purpose>Selfie tourism is a fast-growing phenomenon. Given the convenience of photo-snapping and photo-sharing on social media, selfie tourism is seen as an emerging trend among travelers. This phenomenon gave consequence toward travelers’ behavior, especially on how it can affect their memorable tourism experience and place attachment. This paper aims to examine the relationship between selfie tourism, memorable tourism experience, hedonic well-being and travelers’ place attachment.Design/methodology/approach>A self-administered survey method is used. This research was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, consequently, the data were collected via Google Form (online). The respondents are tourists who have visited various tourism destinations in West Sumatera, Indonesia. To test the hypotheses of this study, questionnaires are distributed to 450 respondents. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling.Findings>The results of this study shows that selfie tourism has a positive and significant relationship toward both memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being. In addition, memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being also have a significant relationship with place attachment.Research limitations/implications>The limitation of this study lies in the limited reference to the relationship between selfie tourism and memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being, because this is the first study to examine the relationship of these variables. This study also has not tested the direct relationship between selfie tourism and place attachment and has not considered eudaemonic well-being as an antecedent of place attachment. Further research will discuss the direct effect of selfie tourism and eudaemonic experience on place attachment, as well as the moderating effect of memorable tourism and hedonic well-being.Practical implications>This study shows the benefits obtained by tourism managers in preparing selfie facilities, as well as the ability to create meaningful experiences. It provides tourism practitioners with an understanding that tourist place attachment can be improved by both memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being. Furthermore, both memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being can be affected by selfie tourism. This understanding can enhance the tourism providers’ strategy to improve services that fit the characteristics of today’s tourists. Therefore, selfie tourism, memorable tourism experience and hedonic well-being can support tourism sustainability, especially in creating place attachments.Originality/value>To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies that investigated the relationship between selfie tourism, memorable tourism experience and place attachment. From a market-specific context, this is also the first study that investigated the antecedents of place attachment on West Sumatera’s tourism.

Recovery experience of wellness tourism and place attachment: insights from feelings-as-information theory

Purpose This study, guided by the feelings-as-information theory, aims to explore the effect of recovery experience of wellness tourism (REWT) on place attachment, alongside an examination into the mediating role of self-perceived health and the moderating role of health goal salience. The research site was traced for two years to monitor the evolution of the proposed model during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The successive independent samples data (in 2020 and 2021, respectively) were collected in Shizhu county, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used with a survey of 1,472 wellness tourists (N-2020 = 494, N-2021 = 978) to test research hypotheses empirically. Additionally, independent sample t-test and multi-group SEM analysis were used to compare the mean difference of variables and coefficients' difference between 2020 and 2021. Findings This study reveals that REWT can increase self-perceived health, resulting in a positive influence on place attachment. By tracing the research site and comparing the successive independent samples data, we found a stronger recovery experience effect of wellness tourism on place attachment alongside a weaker effect on self-perceived health in 2021. The positive relationship between self-perceived health and place attachment is significantly strengthened when health goals are salient. Originality/value This study investigated the mechanism behind the formation of place attachment in the wellness tourism context and extended understanding on the dynamic nature of the REWTand ongoing evolving person-place relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also provided practical suggestions to benefit industry practitioners by enhancing current understanding of improving experience-based management in wellness destinations.