Animosity, Social Return, and Intent to Travel: Social Return’s Dissipating Influence Over Animosity

Abstract

While many have noted how country-level animosity negatively influences destination choice, little is known about factors that may dissipate animosity’s pervasive influence over destination choice. This paper uses Cognitive Dissonance Theory as the theoretical backing to investigate how social return, a consonant cognition focused on the anticipated positive responses from posting travel photos on social media, mediates the negative influence of animosity, a dissonant cognition, has on intent to travel. One thousand six hundred fifty-three respondents from the United States’ top five international markets (Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, and the U.K.) were surveyed with results showing social return partially mediating the relationship between animosity and intent to travel. These findings suggest target markets with high levels of animosity should not be entirely abandoned because there are psychological mechanisms to help dissipate or alleviate the negative effects of animosity.