Conceptualization and Empirical Validation of Tourist Xenophilia

Throughout history, people have often demonstrated an attraction toward foreignness. This phenomenon has been studied through the label of xenophilia and can be an important determinant of behavior. It is, however, yet to be investigated in a tourism context. Drawing on seminal research from social and evolutionary psychology, this study, therefore, provides the first examination of
tourist xenophilia (TXI) which captures tourists’ attraction toward the foreignness of foreign destinations. To do so, the study conceptualizes and operationalizes TXI and examines the construct in a nomological network. The results show that TXI is an important symbolic reason for why people travel as it drives tourists’ willingness to visit foreign destinations. The results, moreover, demonstrate that TXI is created through a complex interplay of factors as promotion focus, boredom proneness, and mind-wandering are identified as antecedents. These findings have several implications for academics and tourism managers.