Exploring the impact of tourist harassment on destination image, tourist expenditure, and destination loyalty

Tourist harassment is one of the major challenging issues influencing the competitiveness of various tourist destinations across the globe. While the topic has received some attention over the past two decades, there is still a dearth of research on the influence of tourist harassment on travelers' perceptions and behaviors. Drawing on qualitative data collected through 27 semi-structured interviews with international travelers visiting Petra, Jordan, the study reveals that the perceived destination image and travelers' behavioral intentions are unlikely to be influenced by harassment experiences. However, there is evidence that harassing tourists to achieve greater sales has an adverse impact on tourists' expenditure level. That is, when harassed, tourists are less likely to be willing to make purchases. The study adds to a still-maturing stream of research on tourist harassment and provides several theoretical as well as practical implications.