Community Attachment, Emotional Solidarity, and Sustainable Tourism Support: Evidence From Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

Qian Chen, Fei Jiang, Yingzhi Guo, Raj Kush Shrestha and Qingchuo Zhang

Sustainable Development, 2025, vol. 33, issue 3, 4492-4510

Abstract: National parks, such as Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal, serve as critical conservation areas and key attractions for nature‐based tourism, offering both opportunities and challenges to local communities. This study aims to address the underexplored perspectives of residents in economically disadvantaged, tourism‐dependent regions by investigating the factors influencing their support for sustainable tourism development. Specifically, it integrates Community Attachment Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and Emotional Solidarity Theory to examine how community attachment, perceived value, and emotional solidarity interact to shape residents' support for sustainable tourism. Data were collected from 260 residents in the Khumbu region and analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS software. The findings reveal that strong community attachment enhances perceived value, which subsequently boosts support for sustainable tourism. Additionally, community attachment and perceived value significantly reinforce emotional solidarity, playing a crucial role in fostering positive resident attitudes towards sustainable tourism. The study also identifies gender as a moderating factor in the relationship between emotional solidarity dimensions—such as welcoming nature and sympathetic understanding—and tourism support. These insights contribute to the theoretical understanding of community dynamics in tourism and offer practical recommendations for policymakers to enhance resident engagement and promote sustainable tourism in sensitive environments.

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:3:p:4492-4510

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