The Impact of Host–Guest Interactions Among Young People on Cultural Sustainability: A Case Study of Dialects

Abstract

Dialects represent significant cultural factors and play an essential role in sustainable cultural development. Therefore, identifying and addressing the negative impacts of dialects is necessary for promoting cultural sustainability. Guided by the sensory marketing theory, this study targeted young tourists and conducted an empirical study. The study aimed to explore the impact of destination dialect perceptions on tourists’ emotions and behaviors. The results indicated that their dialect perceptions influence tourists’ recommendations and feedback behaviors. Exclusive perceptions and negative emotions were found to negatively affect tourists’ recommendations and feedback behaviors, acting as sequential mediators between destination dialect perceptions and tourists’ recommendations and feedback behaviors. This study extends the theoretical framework on destination dialect perceptions and provides practical insights for managers seeking to enhance destination development.

1. Introduction

China is a vast country with many ethnicities and one of the highest numbers of dialects in the world. Dialects serve as vital linguistic communication tools [1,2], facilitating economic [1] and social advancement [3] while also playing a pivotal role in sustainable cultural development [4]. Moreover, dialects constitute an invaluable cultural asset for tourism destinations [4], enhancing the diversity of tourism resources [5] and satisfying tourists’ desire for authenticity [1,4] and novelty [5]. Despite the pivotal role of dialects as tourist attractions in numerous destinations [5], advancing these linguistic forms currently encounters considerable challenges. On the one hand, as an important means of host–guest interactions [6,7], dialects are stigmatized as a sign of backwardness, leading to an inferiority complex among local communities. Furthermore, the state’s recognition of Mandarin as an official language has also constituted an obstacle to the proliferation and development of dialects [8]. Additionally, the encroachment of other dialects has also had an impact on the destination dialect [1], resulting in a reduction in its use. The preservation and promotion of dialects are confronted with considerable challenges, which are influenced by both subjective and objective factors. This is particularly evident among the younger generation, who have less exposure to dialects. In light of these considerations, it has become a priority for the tourism industry to emphasize and highlight the importance of dialects in promoting local culture.

The youth is an essential participant in the social ecosystem and plays a significant role in promoting culturally and ecologically sustainable development [9]. However, this influence has yet to receive adequate attention. Despite a wealth of research findings, academic efforts have yet to establish a comprehensive perspective, tending to concentrate on the descriptive study of specific case studies at a macro level [10]. Simultaneously, there is a noticeable decrease in the skill and regularity of dialect usage among young tourists, which presents a severe obstacle to preserving dialects. Novelty drives the youth group’s propensity to travel [10]. Dialect is unfamiliar and new to the youth group, so the youth group has stronger intentions to travel to destinations with distinct dialectal features. However, the youth face a high risk of exclusion [11] and are more concerned about the negative impacts of tourism development compared to other groups [12]. Therefore, it becomes imperative to create spaces for dialect communication and offer dialect-related services specifically tailored to the youth.

Humans are inherently social beings, and social acceptance promotes engagement and overall quality of life [13]. Conversely, social exclusion can exert multifaceted impacts on individuals [14,15], affecting cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and health aspects [16]. Tourism serves as a significant arena for social consumption. Within this context, tourists are susceptible to exclusive perceptions that can significantly influence their emotional [17] and behavioral responses [18]. Emotions are internal responses to social stimuli or objects [19]. The role of negative emotions is greater than that of positive emotions. Tourist citizenship behaviors have attracted considerable scholarly attention for improving service quality, reducing operational costs, and supporting sustainable destination development [20]. The sensory marketing theory suggests that individuals interact with their environments through their senses, forming initial perceptions that later impact their emotional and behavioral responses [21]. As a result, tourists form their dialect perceptions by interacting with the destination, the local people, and the staff. The interplay between these beliefs, exclusive perceptions, negative emotions, and tourist behaviors means that exclusive perceptions, negative emotions, and behaviors represent an area ripe for further studies.

This study highlights the vital role of young tourists in promoting cultural sustainability. Guided by the sensory marketing theory, this study examines dialects as an auditory factor, exploring their impact on host–guest interactions. It explores how the host–guest interaction factors can stimulate tourists’ citizenship behaviors and promote the sustainable development of dialect cultures. In addition, this study clarifies the psychological mechanisms involved and further investigates the limiting factors of tourist citizenship behaviors. This study extends the theoretical framework of host–guest interaction factors in tourism and further refines the intrinsic mechanisms of how destination dialects influence tourists’ behaviors. In addition, this study enriches the understanding of the limiting factors of tourist citizenship behaviors. It increases the need for young tourists to engage in cultural tourism, contributing to the sustainable development of the destination and its culture.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Host–Guest Interaction

Host–guest interactions are a vital conduit for cultural exchange and an integral element of tourism [22]. Host–guest interaction is the essence of tourism [23], and the importance of host–tourist interactions in tourism cannot be overemphasized. Many factors influence these interactions’ efficacy, such as cultural similarity [24] and altitude [25]. Positive interactions occur when hosts and guests stand on equal ground, share common developmental objectives, and collaborate through consultations across various domains, including politics [26]. While the influencing factors of interaction remain an important study topic, the dynamics between host–guest interactions are equally important and deserve attention [27]. However, the multifaceted nature of host–guest interactions has made the relationship between residents and tourists a central focus of study [28]. Only recently have scholars started to explore the effects of these interactions on tourists. Positive interactions ensure that the residents or employees of the destination extend a warm welcome to visitors, fostering a sense of emotional connection [23], laying the groundwork for emotional solidarity [29], and enriching tourists’ immersive experiences and memorable tourism experiences [30], which in turn facilitates tourists’ value co-creation behaviors [31]. However, host–guest interaction is not always positive, and its negative impacts have not yet received enough attention from scholars [28].

Language, a pivotal mode of host–guest interactions [7], has yet to elucidate its role fully. This paper takes dialects as a starting point to explore how host–guest interactions influence tourists’ psychology and behaviors, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the cultural and tourism industries.

2.2. Destination Dialect Perceptions

The growing interest in experiential tourism has made authenticity crucial in determining tourists’ views and behaviors toward a destination [1]. Dialects allow tourists to immerse themselves in the cultural tapestry of a destination [32]. Consequently, there has been a surge in scientific curiosity about dialectology. As a distinctive linguistic medium [2,8], dialects are exclusive to a given area [33,34,35], signifying a difference in the language spoken there and a crucial part of the folklore linguistic legacy. Tourists’ cognitive engagement with a location’s linguistic features during their visit, including interactions with locals, explanatory markers, and other modalities, is called destination dialect perceptions [36]. Because local dialects capture the characteristics and values of the community, their accurate use is essential for preserving and transmitting local cultural heritage [2].

In addition, dialectal linguistic affinity promotes a greater sense of cultural identification [8,37] by facilitating speakers’ communication and reducing their psychological distance [32]. Dialects are an essential part of what makes tourism attractive [4], and they can enhance cross-cultural interactions between tourists and locals through tourism [6,7], making them a necessary area of study for scholars. However, a decrease in dialects has coincided with destinations’ booming tourism. Given this problem, it is critical that tourism studies quickly identifies the function of dialects in tourism and develops strategies to increase their use.

Researchers have typically taken a broad approach when studying the macroeconomic influence of dialects. Dialects are crucial in shaping the development and spread of national culture [1], trade [38], and the innovation destination [1]. Scholars have started to pay attention to the positive effects of dialects in the marketing industry. For example, dialects affect consumer spending patterns in different ways [39]. A slight difference in vocabulary between the dialect and the consumer’s language can trigger emotional reactions [40], build trust in products, and influence behaviors intentions [41]. The opposite is also true. Dialects have been shown to shape tourism experiences [5] and are considered an essential tourism product [5]. Current tourism studies focuses primarily on examining the consequences of tourism development on dialects [5] and the inherent significance of dialects in tourism [5]. Nevertheless, further studies are required to analyze the specific impact of dialects on tourism, focusing on the microeconomic aspect. For example, it has been demonstrated that tourists who perceive a destination’s dialect as vital are more satisfied and loyal to that destination [5].

With its vast territory and diverse population, China is renowned for its immense linguistic diversity, boasting one of the world’s most extensive varieties of dialects. The dialect culture in China continues to thrive and play a significant role in modern society [1,3,4]. In light of this, studying dialects becomes very important. Nevertheless, the significance of dialects in local tourism has not received significant scholarly focus. Dialects are acknowledged for their significant contribution to enriching the tourism experience [1,4,5]. And while some studies have started to examine their role in tourism, there is a vital requirement for additional quantitative studies to investigate tourists’ perceptions and the broader implications of dialects in tourism.

2.3. Exclusive Perceptions

Exclusion refers to perceptions of being isolated, ignored, or rejected by their peers. Some scholars posit that exclusion constitutes an unfavorable emotional experience [14]. This detrimental situation reduces an individual’s sense of belonging and hurts their attitudes and behaviors [42].

Exclusion, a widespread occurrence in everyday life, has emerged as a primary subject within academic discussions. The existing body of literature primarily focuses on the study of exclusion in organizational management [43,44] and education [15,45,46]. The objective is to gain insight into the factors, processes, and contextual limitations that contribute to different types of exclusion, including workplace, campus, peer, and social exclusion [15,43,45,46,47]. Various human, organizational, and societal factors influence exclusive perceptions [14,43,48]. Gender is recognized as a strong determinant of exclusive perceptions [49]. Differences in personality features and behavioral inclinations can result in varying exclusive perceptions [14]. Individuals who experience exclusion are more prone to ego depletion and the onset of negative emotions [17]. People may display different behavioral intentions to counter these negative emotions, such as avoiding or conforming. The concept of social exclusion posits that individuals who experience exclusion are more prone to engage in negative behavioral tendencies, such as a reduction in pro-social behaviors [18]. This is also corroborated by other study [15]. On the other hand, the social reconfiguration theory argues that even though exclusion can make someone feel like they do not belong, they are likely to try to form new social ties to find support from others [50]. The impact of exclusion on behaviors is influenced by factors such as connectedness to nature [51] and organizational trust [44], regardless of whether the behaviors are convergent or avoidant.

A significant proportion of studies on exclusion have concentrated on individuals and organizations. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of exclusion in tourism is of considerable social significance and merits substantial attention in academic studies. The phenomenon of exclusion encountered in tourism differs from that of social exclusion in other domains. In contrast to social exclusion in other domains, which typically arises from the exclusion of acquaintances, in tourism, a range of factors, including employees, residents, other tourists, and even destination factors, can contribute to tourists experiencing exclusion. Secondly, the probability of future collaboration between tourism employees, residents, or other tourists and tourists is low. Consequently, the mechanisms through which they influence tourists’ psychology and behavior remain unclear. The sensory marketing theory posits that tourists interact with their surroundings through their senses, thereby forming initial perceptions that subsequently influence their emotions and behaviors [21,52,53]. In other words, the destination dialects enrich tourists’ cultural experience by satisfying their desire for novelty and influencing their perceptions [1,4,5], emotions [40], and behaviors [41] through visual and auditory cues. Significant linguistic differences can widen the psychological distance between tourists and the destination [5,32], leading to exclusive perceptions and ultimately affecting tourists’ behaviors [41]. Consequently, this study focuses on destination dialects to further analyze their correlation with exclusive perceptions.

2.4. Negative Emotions

Emotion is a mental state that occurs when we evaluate an experience or thought, leading to specific behaviors to acknowledge or deal with that emotional state [54]. It is a fundamental physiological and psychological phenomenon. Consumers may experience various emotions, such as wrath, disappointment, irritation, and pleasantness. These emotions are typically classified as either positive or negative. Positive emotions refer to the various affirmative feelings experienced by an individual, including joy and contentment. Conversely, negative emotions measure the extent of an individual’s unfavorable psychological conditions, such as anxiety and irritation [55]. Tourism is recognized to evoke a wide range of emotional reactions among travelers, including both positive and negative aspects [56]. Negative emotions have a more profound effect on tourists than positive emotions [57], a view consistent with the negativity bias theory. Researchers have also examined the factors that trigger negative emotions in tourists, such as service failures [58] and bad food [59,60]. Tourists’ experiences and behaviors are largely influenced by negative emotions, which can lead to both positive and negative outcomes [61]. Negative emotions can lead to positive outcomes, stimulating introspection and personal development [56,62]. In addition, negative emotions can enhance travelers’ understanding of the educational aspects of travel [56]. On the other hand, negative emotions can also harm tourists’ psychology and behavior. An example is retaliatory buying behavior [63].

Emotions have received much attention from researchers due to their important impact on tourists’ behavior [40,63,64,65]. However, most domestic and international studies on tourists’ emotions have focused on positive emotions [64,65], specifically on the processes through which they are formed and their subsequent effects. Nevertheless, negative emotions have been demonstrated to substantially influence tourists’ behaviors more than positive ones. The academic community has yet to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the role of negative emotions in tourism, and the relationship between negative emotions and tourist behaviors remains a significant area to research. While some researchers have acknowledged the significance of negative emotions in tourism, the extant body of literature remains insufficient and needs further expansion and improvement [58,59,66]. This study utilizes the theoretical framework of sensory marketing to examine the impact of negative emotions on tourists’ behaviors, explicitly focusing on the significance of dialect usage in tourism, utilizing the theoretical framework of the sensory marketing theory.

2.5. Tourist Citizenship Behaviors

Customer citizenship behaviors (CCBs) are acts initiated by customers when delivering tourism services that proactively contribute to the growth and development of the firm. These behaviors are outside the scope of regular duties and involve using customer resources [67]. Tourist citizenship behaviors (TCBs) are defined as voluntary and charitable behaviors demonstrated by tourists [68]. The classification of CCBs is still a subject of discussion, and a standardized definition is required. Most existing models classify TCBs as three-dimensional [67], two-dimensional, or as other models [69]. The literature frequently relies on three-dimensional and two-dimensional models to study tourist citizenship behaviors, which are considered more superficial.

The existing studies on tourist citizenship behaviors have focused on studying the factors that influence these behaviors, resulting in many findings. Empirical evidence indicates that external elements, such as destinations and service personnel, substantially impact tourist citizenship behaviors. For example, studies have demonstrated that the humor displayed by tour guides [70] and the service quality provided [71] can encourage tourists to engage in citizenship behaviors. Simultaneously, internal forces are vital in driving tourist citizenship behaviors. Furthermore, it can be observed that as tourists’ well-being levels increase, so do their intentions to engage in behaviors that can be defined as tourist citizenship behaviors [72]. This, in turn, positively impacts the quality of the human–destination relationship between tourists and destinations [69]. As a result, this promotes increased trust in the destination and leads to tourist citizenship behaviors.

To summarize, the current academic studies on tourist citizenship behaviors primarily focus on analyzing the elements that influence these behaviors from internal and external viewpoints. However, more studies on the sensory aspects influencing tourist citizenship behaviors are still needed.

2.6. Sensory Marketing Theory

Sensory stimuli function as subconscious impulses that influence consumer behaviors [73]. Sensory marketing is a strategy that employs the five primary sensory modalities (visual, auditory, olfactory, taste, and haptics) to influence consumer emotions and behaviors [52,53]. The sensory marketing theory suggests that humans interact with their environments through their senses, creating initial perceptions that trigger emotional and behavioral reactions (see Figure 1) [21]. Due to a growing academic interest in sensory experiences, sensory marketing has quickly developed and has been widely utilized in tourist studies.

Scholars have used experimental techniques to control different sensory experiences to evaluate the influence of individual senses and their combined impacts on tourists and destinations [73,74,75]. The senses represent the fundamental channels through which information is obtained from the external environment [74]. It is relatively straightforward to convey information about tourist destinations via visual and auditory, in comparison to the other senses, namely haptics, taste, and olfactory [76]. The current studies on sensory experiences primarily focus on the visual, followed by the auditory. Attention to the olfactory, gustatory, and tactile senses is relatively less. Visual materials, such as images, contribute significantly to shaping the image of a destination [77] and are an essential factor in the economic growth of tourism [78]. The visual perception of tourists in advertisements has been found to increase their propensity to engage with odor imagery, which in turn has been linked to enhanced intentions to purchase [79]. The role of auditory in tourism marketing has also been the subject of scholarly investigation. The presence of natural sounds, for instance, has been found to facilitate flow experience [80] and the generation of positive emotions, which in turn enhances tourists’ intentions to engage in positive behaviors [81]. Furthermore, music has been identified as a key factor in shaping destination image [74,82]. Furthermore, most current studies examine tourists’ sensory experiences in a one-dimensional manner, ignoring the potential impact of multisensory interactions on both tourists and destinations.

As a significant language in host–guest interactions [7,33], dialects constitute an important soundscape of tourist destinations [4,5], playing a crucial role in sustainable cultural development [1]. Therefore, the effects and mechanisms of dialect experiences on tourists and destinations must be examined in both theoretical and practical studies of tourism.

3. Hypothesis Development

3.1. Destination Dialect Perceptions and Tourist Citizenship Behaviors

Tourists are exposed to the dialect of the destination through various means, including engagement with residents, exposure to destination-themed music, viewing films and television programs that focus on the dialect, and attendance at theatrical performances. These diverse interactions facilitate the acquisition of authentic cultural experiences [83]. Authentic cultural immersion is crucial in increasing tourists’ satisfaction levels, substantially impacting their intentions to revisit the destination and recommend it to others [83,84]. For instance, tourists who encountered the robust Cantonese linguistic ambiance in Guangdong exhibited a heightened intention to revisit the city and were inclined to endorse Guangdong as a destination for other tourists [36]. The study confirmed a direct relationship between tourists’ dialect perceptions and their intentions to recommend and revisit the destination. Based on the studies mentioned above, this study presents the following hypotheses:

H1. 

Destination dialect perceptions have a significant positive effect on tourists’ recommendation behaviors (a) and tourists’ feedback behaviors (b).

3.2. Destination Dialect Perceptions, Exclusive Perceptions, and Tourist Citizenship Behaviors

Dialects are distinct forms of language used only by the residents of a particular place [33,34,35] and are significantly different from the language spoken by tourists. According to the self-categorization theory, self-categorization comprises personal and social identities. Social identity refers to belonging to a particular group or category [85]. Linguistic differences decrease tourists’ sense of connection [41], lead to a sense of being left out, and impact their overall tourism experience [32]. Thus, this study puts forward the subsequent hypothesis:

H2. 

Destination dialect perceptions have a significant positive effect on exclusive perceptions.

Exclusive perceptions have a crucial influence on the behaviors exhibited by tourists [15,48]. Tourists who feel excluded often become more sensitive, which can reduce their desire to form pleasant and friendly social interactions. This psychological state may result in the isolation of individuals from social interactions [42], which may, in turn, lead to a reduction in behaviors that benefit others [48,86]. Such behaviors may include a reduction in pro-social behaviors [87]. Tourist citizenship behaviors in tourism refer to an individual’s expression of pro-social behaviors. Therefore, it is expected that tourists who feel excluded are less inclined to display tourist citizenship behaviors. The study proposes the following hypothesis based on this foundation:

H3. 

Exclusive perceptions have a significant adverse effect on tourists’ recommendation behaviors (a) and tourists’ feedback behaviors (b).

3.3. Destination Dialect Perceptions, Exclusive Perceptions, Negative Emotions, and Tourist Citizenship Behaviors

The theory of emotional arousal posits that destination languages elicit an individual’s emotional response by establishing a cultural ambiance reflective of the destination and resonating with the tourist’s pre-existing beliefs and attitudes [88]. Destination dialects are vital in shaping tourists’ experiences [1,4,5] and can further accentuate the linguistic gap between tourists and the local environments [33,34,35]. This discrepancy can make residents less attractive to tourists [5], impacting their travel experience [32] and potentially causing negative emotions among tourists [32,40]. Based on these factors, the study proposes the following hypotheses:

H4. 

Destination dialect perceptions have a significant positive effect on negative emotions.

Positive emotions are evoked when tourists’ needs are met [64]. On the other hand, when needs are not fulfilled, it can lead to negative emotions. Social exclusion has reduced the satisfaction of basic human needs, especially those associated with belonging, and simultaneously triggered negative emotions such as frustration [89]. The varied impact of exclusive views on tourists’ emotions has been seen [90]. People who experience social exclusion may acquire exclusive perceptions, which can lead to negative emotions, including grief and frustration [17]. This study suggests that tourists who feel excluded are prone to experiencing negative emotions since their basic needs are unmet. Therefore, the hypothesis provided for this study is as follows:

H5. 

Exclusive perceptions have a significant positive effect on negative emotions.

The broaden and build theory of positive emotions posits that they can expand an individual’s perceptual range, increasing their drive to engage in beneficial behaviors [91]. Researchers indicate that negative emotions are associated with reduced intentions of engaging in positive behaviors [58,66]. Consequently, these emotions may result in a reduction in citizenship behaviors [92]. Specific conditions, including the ongoing global pandemic, may intensify this phenomenon. Evidence suggests that such conditions can heighten feelings of fear and anxiety. Consequently, this could lead individuals to adopt avoidance strategies [93]. Tourists who experience negative emotions tend to respond negatively towards the destinations they visit. This, in turn, influences their decisions and behaviors [58]. These behaviors may include negative word-of-mouth, complaints, and boycotts [94]. For example, service failures, particularly in the transportation industry, can precipitate negative emotions that may heighten the probability of complaints and other unfavorable behaviors [95]. Furthermore, tourists’ perceptions of crowding in attractive destinations can engender exhaustion and discontent, reducing their enjoyment and increasing their intentions to engage in oppositional behaviors [96]. Based on these factors, this study presents the following hypotheses:

H6. 

Negative emotions have a significant adverse effect on tourists’ recommendation behaviors (a) and tourists’ feedback behaviors (b).

3.4. The Mediating Role of Exclusive Perceptions and Negative Emotions

The sensory marketing theory posits that tourists engage with places through a multifaceted sensory experience, encompassing visual, auditory, and olfactory, shaping their attitudes and behaviors [21,52,53]. Tourists engage with society through their senses when they experience mistreatment or exclusion regarding the service they receive. This perception has an impact on the attitudes and behaviors of tourists [97]. For example, they may seek retribution in the form of monetary or psychological compensation [98]. In light of the observations above, the following hypotheses are put forth in this study:

H7. 

Exclusive perceptions play a mediating role in the influence of destination dialect perceptions on tourists’ recommendation behaviors (a) and tourists’ feedback behaviors (b).

The cognitive appraisal theory suggests that emotions are derived from an individual’s cognitive assessment of external inputs and experiences, affecting tourists’ behavioral intentions. The concept of negative emotions mediating the influence of tourists’ perceptions and behaviors is well accepted in academic circles [58,63,66]. To illustrate, crowded destinations engender negative emotions in tourists and influence their adaptive behaviors towards the destination [99]. Moreover, if tourists have poor expectations regarding a destination’s dedication to social responsibility, it can undermine their trust in the place, decreasing their environmental citizenship behaviors [100]. How tourists perceive the aspects of a place’s dialect affects how they recognize the destination’s image, which in turn influences their related behavioral patterns. Based on these facts, the hypothesis for this study is as follows:

H8. 

Negative emotions play a mediating role in the influence of destination dialect perceptions on tourists’ recommendation behaviors (a) and tourists’ feedback behaviors (b).

The sensory marketing theory posits that the intricate interplay between humans and the external environment, mediated by the senses, plays a pivotal role in consumer behaviors. Tourists convert external stimuli from a destination into particular sensory experiences. Subsequently, these sensory impressions evolve into further awareness and comprehension of the phenomenon. Consequently, this cascading effect on tourists’ emotional well-being can explicitly result in positive or negative emotions, influencing behaviors [33,52,53]. In light of the above arguments, this study posits that tourists utilize dialect to engage with destinations [6,7], thereby forming sensory impressions contingent upon these interactions. This phenomenon may be conceptualized as “destination dialect perceptions”. The destination dialect perceptions affect the quality of host–guest interactions, which can result in tourists experiencing exclusive perceptions. Researchers have demonstrated that exclusive perceptions reduce the quality of the tourist experience [32], trigger negative emotions [49], and even induce aggressive or unethical behaviors [101,102]. Based on the synthesis of these theoretical foundations, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

H9. 

Exclusive perceptions and negative emotions play a chain mediating role in the influence of destination dialect perceptions on tourists’ recommendation behaviors (a) and tourists’ feedback behaviors (b).

3.5. Research Models

According to the theory of sensory marketing, environmental factors such as auditory, images, and olfactory in tourist destinations stimulate tourists’ sensory perceptions such as visual and auditory, which in turn affect tourists’ psychological factors such as cognition and emotions, and form corresponding attitudes and behaviors [33,52,53]. Based on the above theoretical hypothesis, this study selected the destination dialect as the factor of host–guest interactions, exclusive perceptions and negative emotions as the psychological factors of tourists, and the citizens’ behavior as the attitudes and behaviors of tourists, and then constructed the model of “Sensory Perceptions–Cognition–Emotions–Behaviors” (see Figure 2). The relationship between tourists and destinations is influenced by the auditory elements of the destination language. This link has a profound effect on the tourists’ perceptual experience, in particular exclusive perceptions, which subsequently triggers a range of emotional and behavioral responses. These responses can range from negative emotions to tourist citizenship behavior.

4. Methodology

4.1. Design of Measurements

The questionnaire incorporates well-established domestic and international scales, refining items to guarantee that the content is valid. And the scales have all been validated in previous studies [36,67,103,104]. The content is structured into three distinct sections. The first part explains the concept of dialect in easy-to-understand language, making it easier for respondents to understand the research target. The second half of the questionnaire comprises the essential components: destination dialect perceptions, exclusive perceptions, negative emotions, and tourist citizenship behaviors. These are evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale, with a rating of one representing “strongly disagree”, and a rating of five means “strongly agree”. The concept of destination dialect perceptions is divided into four dimensions: local distinctiveness, understanding, appeal, and utility. This is based on the framework presented by Lu et al. [36] and the use of their Destination Dialect Perception Scale. The exclusive perceptions are gauged through the scale developed by Wan et al. [104]. The assessment of negative emotions is conducted using the scale developed by Kim et al. [103]. Finally, tourist citizenship behaviors are measured using Groth’s [67] scale. The last component of the measure collects information about the demographic characteristics of the participants, such as their gender, age, occupation, travel experience, and whom they are traveling with. See

Table 1. The items of the constructs.

No		Construct Measures	References
	DP	Dialect Perceptions	Lu et al. (2019) [36]
	DU	DialectUnderstanding
1	DU1	The dialect gives me a sense of the local history and culture.
2	DU2	The on-the-ground exposure to the dialect enables me to know more about it.
3	DU3	The pronunciation and intonation of the dialect is very unique.
	FU	Functionality
4	FU1	The on-the-ground exposure to the dialect satisfies my curiosity about culture.
5	FU2	I want to pay for products with dialect elements.
6	FU3	The on-the-ground exposure to the dialect makes me excited.
7	FU4	It is worthwhile to be exposed to the dialect on this trip.
	CA	Captivation
8	CA1	I am now captivated by the dialect.
9	CA2	The on-the-ground exposure to the dialect makes my trip fulfilling.
10	CA3	The dialect is fascinating.
11	CA4	I don’t mind when the locals speak the dialect.
12	CA5	I am OK with the tourism service provided in the dialect.
13	CA6	Communication is evident when I communicate with locals who speak.
	LC	LocalCharacteristics
14	LC1	The local atmosphere created by the dialect is unique.
15	LC2	The dialect enables me to feel the local characteristics.
16	LC3	The dialect enables me to know the local characters of the local people.
17	LC4	The dialect enables me to feel the local culture.
18	LC5	The dialect well expresses the local characteristics.
19	LC6	The dialect is displayed in various ways.
	EP	ExclusivePerceptions	Wan et al. (2014) [104]
20	EP1	The use of dialect at that destination can ignore our feelings and perceptions.
21	EP2	The destination will not ask for our needs.
22	EP3	This destination doesn’t care about our suggestions.
23	EP4	The destination won’t take our advice.
24	EP5	The destination won’t consult with us.
	NE	NegativeEmotions	Kim et al. (2015) [103]
25	NE1	Bored.
26	NE2	Sleepy.
27	NE3	Irritated.
28	NE4	Angry.
	TCB	TouristCitizenshipBehaviors	Groth (2005) [67]
	TRB	Tourists’ Recommendations Behaviors
29	TRB1	Recommend the destination to your family.
30	TRB2	Recommend the destination to your peers.
31	TRB3	Recommend this destination to anyone interested in it.
32	TRB4	Recommend this destination to my colleagues and others.
	TFB	Tourists’FeedbackBehaviors
33	TFB1	Fill out a tourist satisfaction survey.
34	TFB2	Provide helpful feedback to the service staff.
35	TFB3	Provide information when surveyed by the business.
36	TFB4	Inform business about the excellent service received by an individual employee.

for the items and constructs.

4.2. Data Collection

The preliminary survey was distributed online. Exactly 100 valid responses were gathered in total. The reliability of each variable, with coefficients greater than 0.8, exceeds the acceptable level, highlighting the questionnaire’s credibility. This confirms its appropriateness for future studies and analytical pursuits.

The official survey began in early March 2024 and lasted for one month. Using the Questionnaire Star platform, the dissemination of questionnaires was effectively coordinated. A link to the questionnaire website was posted online to help with the distribution. Before dissemination, respondents were screened with the question, “Have you ever encountered dialectal elements during your travels?” The potential participants were informed that the study was academic, were assured of a scholarly nature, and that their information would be kept confidential. During the formal research period, a total of 513 questionnaires were distributed. A total of 502 items were successfully retrieved from this set. After thorough data purification, which included removing surveys with high-value biases, excessive missing data, and those that did not meet the validation criteria, a total of 500 valid questionnaires were obtained, indicating an effective response rate of 97.47%.

4.3. Data Analysis

This study used SPSS 25.0 to clean the data. SPSS has become a go-to tool for quantitative data analysis in sociology, psychology, and more [105], and a widely recognized statistical software that researchers in the social sciences frequently use to analyze diverse data sets. This study used SPSS to examine the demographic characteristics of the data and common method bias (CMB) to assess the characteristics of this study. In addition, we initially evaluated the reliability and validity of the scales using SPSS 25.0. This was mainly demonstrated by metrics such as Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), etc.

In this research, we formulated measurement models and hypotheses using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS 4, and we examined mediation effects using the bootstrap method [106]. PLS-SEM and bootstrap are flexible and less restrictive in terms of assumptions about data distribution [107]. This study focuses on exploring the complex relationship between young tourists’ host–guest interaction factors (i.e., destination dialect perceptions) and tourists’ psychology (i.e., exclusive perceptions and negative emotions) and behaviors (i.e., tourist citizenship behaviors), which is also in line with PLS-SEM’s strengths [107].

5. Results

5.1. Respondent Profile

Table 2. Respondent tourists’ profile.

	Variable	n	%
Gender	Male	224	44.8
	Female	276	55.2
Age	20 to 25	143	28.6
	26 to 30	162	32.4
	31 to 35	108	21.6
	36 to 39	87	17.4
Education	Below high school/secondary school	27	5.4
	Junior college	137	27.4
	Undergraduate	239	47.8
	Postgraduate and above	97	19.4
Occupation	Student	128	25.6
	Civil servant	61	12.2
	Enterprise employee	222	44.4
	Freelancer	32	6.4
	Business owners	56	11.2
	Other	1	0.2
Monthly income	CNY 0 to 3000	127	25.4
	CNY 3001 to 5000	75	15.0
	CNY 5001 to 7000	90	18.0
	CNY 7001 to 10,000	107	21.4
	CNY 10,001 or more	101	20.2
Number of visits	1	275	55.0
	2	149	29.8
	Three or More	76	15.2
Travel companion	None	47	9.4
	Family	215	43.0
	Friends	157	31.4
	Fellow student	10	2.0
	Colleagues	26	5.2
	Tour group	45	9.0
	Total	500	100.0

presents a comprehensive overview of the demographic characteristics of the 500 respondents, including gender, age, education, occupation, and income.

This study included a total of 500 valid participants, comprising 224 males (44.8%) and 276 females (55.2%). Among the participants, 162 (32.4%) were aged 26–30, 143 (28.6%) were 20–25, 108 (21.6%) were 31–35, and the remaining 87 (17.4%) were 36–39 years old. In terms of educational background, 239 participants (47.8%) had a bachelor’s degree, 137 (27.4%) participants had a junior college degree, and 97 participants (19.4%) had a postgraduate degree or higher. A total of 222 participants (44.4%) were employed as corporate staff, 128 (25.6%) participants were students, 61 (12.2%) participants were government employees, and 56 (11.2%) participants were business owners. Regarding monthly income, 127 participants (25.4%) earned CNY 0–3000, 107 (21.4%) earned CNY 7001–10,000, 101 (20.2%) had a monthly income above CNY 10,001, and 90 (18.0%) earned CNY 5001–7000. In total, 275 participants (55.0%) were first-time visitors, 149 (29.8%) had visited twice, and 76 (15.2%) had visited more than three times. Additionally, 215 participants (43.0%) traveled with family, 157 (31.4%) with friends, 45 (9.0%) on group tours, and 47 (9.4%) alone, 10 participants (2.0%) traveled with fellow students, and 26 participants (5.2%) traveled with colleagues.

5.2. Common Method Bias Analysis

This study used a Harman one-factor test to determine the common method bias (CMB), a conventional practice in this field. The existing literature indicates that common method bias (CMB) can distort study results when a single component explains more than 50% of the overall variability [108]. The research showed no substantial common method bias, which confirms that the study’s conclusions are firm and not influenced by common method biases [109].

5.3. Measurement Model Analysis

The variables and items in this study were assessed for reliability using well-established metrics, including Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). A benchmark loading above 0.7 is usually acknowledged as a reliable indicator of satisfactory reliability for individual items [110].

Table 3. Evaluation of the measurement model.

Construct Measures		Items	Loading	Cronbach’s Alpha	CR	AVE
DP	DU	DU1	0.906	0.927	0.936	0.610
		DU2	0.855
		DU3	0.826
	FU	FU1	0.914
		FU2	0.804
		FU3	0.813
		FU4	0.819
	CA	CA1	0.908
		CA2	0.812
		CA3	0.759
		CA4	0.748
		CA5	0.792
		CA6	0.733
	LC	LC1	0.931
		LC2	0.818
		LC3	0.798
		LC4	0.752
		LC5	0.775
		LC6	0.795
EP		EP1	0.906	0.894	0.928	0.704
		EP2	0.840
		EP3	0.830
		EP4	0.823
		EP5	0.789
NE		NE1	0.937	0.897	0.922	0.765
		NE2	0.860
		NE3	0.846
		NE4	0.852
TCB	TRB	TRB1	0.794	0.863	0.907	0.710
		TRB2	0.841
		TRB3	0.802
		TRB4	0.931
	TFB	TFB1	0.912	0.863	0.908	0.712
		TFB2	0.829
		TFB3	0.809
		TFB4	0.817

shows that the lowest factor loading for a single item in the captivation construct was 0.733, which is greater than 0.7. Thus, all the items had loadings above the 0.70 criterion. Furthermore, the Cronbach’s alpha values of all the constructs were between 0.863 and 0.927, with the lowest Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.863 for the two tourist citizenship behavior constructs, and the Cronbach’s alpha values of all the constructs exceeded the accepted standard of 0.8, indicating that the scale has high reliability. Meanwhile, the lowest CR values for the two constructs of tourist citizenship behaviors were 0.907 and 0.908, indicating that the data were highly reliable. The convergent validity of the constructs was assessed in this study using the AVE indicator, which showed that the mean-variance explained by the constructs ranged from 0.610 to 0.765. The values of these figures exceed the critical threshold of 0.50, indicating that the indicators accurately depict the constructs in a way that meets or exceeds the minimum standards for adequacy.

This study employed a variance inflation factor (VIF) analysis to assess the existence of multiple collinearities between the conceptual variables. Prior studies have indicated that the presence of multiple collinearities can be ruled out when the VIF value is less than 3.5 [110]. As demonstrated in

Table 4. The construct’s VIF values.

	EP	NE	TRB	TFB
DP	1.000	1.782	2.350	2.350
EP		1.782	1.818	1.818
NE			1.794	1.794

, all the VIF values fall within the range of 1.000 to 2.350, thereby confirming the absence of multiple collinearities between the conceptual variables in the model.

The Fornell–Larcker criterion was used to assess the discriminatory validity. Table 4 demonstrates that all the variables met the criteria, indicating the model has solid discriminant validity. The combined results of these investigations confirmed the reliability and validity of the constructs in question. Furthermore, this study employed the heterogeneity–monomorphism (HTMT) assessment to ascertain the discriminant validity of the constructs. The discriminant validity was evaluated at the level of 0.85. As illustrated in

Table 5. Discriminant validity assessment.

The Fornell–Larcker Criterion						HTMT Discriminant Validity
	DP	EP	NE	TRB	TFB	DP	EP	NE	TRB	TFB
DP	0.780
EP	−0.662	0.839				0.725
NE	−0.657	0.515	0.874			0.715	0.571
TRB	0.664	−0.521	−0.542	0.843		0.739	0.590	0.612
TFB	0.630	−0.506	−0.542	0.522	0.844	0.698	0.571	0.611	0.603

, the HTMT results exhibited values below 0.85, thereby corroborating the discriminant validity of the constructs.

5.4. Structural Model Analysis

The data analysis in

Table 6. Assessment of structural model.

Hypothesis	Relationship	Path Coefficient	Hypothesis Testing
H1a	DP → TRB	0.472 ***	Yes
H1b	DP → TFB	0.410 ***	Yes
H2	DP → EP	−0.662 ***	No
H3a	EP → TRB	−0.121 **	Yes
H3b	EP → TFB	−0.129 **	Yes
H4	DP → NE	−0.563 ***	No
H5	EP → NE	0.142 ***	Yes
H6a	NE → TRB	−0.170 ***	Yes
H6b	NE → TFB	−0.206 ***	Yes

** significant at p < 0.05. *** significant at p < 0.01.

and Figure 3 shows that young tourists’ recommendation behaviors (β = 0.472, p < 0.01) and feedback behaviors (β = 0.410, p < 0.01) are highly influenced by their destination dialect perceptions. In contrast, it was determined that there were no substantial adverse consequences. The findings suggest that young tourists’ destination dialect perceptions motivate recommendation and feedback behaviors. Therefore, hypotheses H1a and H1b are confirmed. The results suggest that how young tourists perceive the local accent of a destination plays a significant role in influencing their citizenship behaviors. The study found that the exclusive perceptions hurt recommendation behaviors (β = −0.121, p < 0.05) and feedback behaviors (β = −0.129, p < 0.05). Therefore, hypotheses H3a and H3b have been verified. Since exclusive perceptions positively affect negative emotions (β = 0.142, p < 0.01), the results of this study also support H5. In addition, the study revealed that negative emotions have a significant negative impact on recommendation behaviors (β = −0.170, p < 0.01) and feedback behaviors (β = −0.206, p < 0.01), thereby confirming hypotheses H6a and H6b. This highlights the significance of negative emotions as a crucial element contributing to tourists’ decline in citizenship behaviors. At the same time, this study found that destination dialect perceptions had a negative impact on exclusive perceptions (β = −0.662, p < 0.01) and negative emotions (β = −0.563, p < 0.01). The results of this study differ from previous findings and oppose the hypotheses proposed in this study [32], i.e., H2 and H4. This may be due to the fact that for young tourists, the destination’s dialect is unfamiliar and rich in interest, which somewhat dissolves the tourists’ feelings (i.e., exclusive perceptions) and reduces negative emotions [111,112].

5.5. Multiple-Chain Mediation Effect Analysis

To assess the hypothesized chained mediation effects of exclusive perceptions and negative emotions, we utilized 5000 bootstrap samples to produce 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals. As evidenced in

Table 7. Multiple chain mediation effect analysis.

Effect	Mediation Path	Effect Value	Standard Error	95% Confidence Interval
				Boost LLCI	Boost ULCI
Indirect effect	DP → EP → TRB	0.080	0.033	0.017	0.140
	DP → EP → TFB	0.085	0.034	0.019	0.154
	DP → NE → TRB	0.096	0.027	0.043	0.154
	DP → NE → TFB	0.116	0.029	0.062	0.176
	DP → EP → NE → TRB	0.016	0.007	0.005	0.032
	DP → EP → NE → TFB	0.019	0.008	0.007	0.037
Direct effect	DP → TRB	0.410	0.053	0.389	0.567
	DP → TFB	0.472	0.047	0.306	0.508
Total effect	DP → TRB	0.664	0.029	0.608	0.719
	DP → TFB	0.630	0.033	0.564	0.690

, exclusive perceptions serve as a significant mediator between tourists’ dialect perceptions and both recommendation behaviors (95% CI = [0.017, 0.140]) and feedback behaviors (95% CI = [0.019, 0.154]). H7a and H7b are supported. Moreover, the bootstrap 95% confidence intervals confirm the significant mediation effect of negative emotions on the association between dialect perceptions and recommendation (95% CI = [0.043, 0.154]) and feedback behaviors (95% CI = [0.062, 0.176]). This finding provides support for hypotheses H8a and H8b. The bootstrap confidence intervals reveal substantial indirect effects, highlighting the role of negative emotions as mediators.

Therefore, the data suggest that distinct perceptions and negative emotions are involved in a step-by-step process that affects the relationship between dialect perceptions and tourists’ recommendations (95% CI = [0.005, 0.032]) and feedback behaviors (95% CI = [0.007, 0.037]). The chained mediation in this study supports hypotheses H9a and H9b, confirming their validity. The findings offer a detailed comprehension of how dialect perceptions impact tourist citizenship behaviors. The data indicate that exclusive perceptions and negative emotions exert a gradual influence on the relationship between dialect perceptions and tourists’ recommendations and feedback behaviors. The findings of this study demonstrate that the linguistic distance created by the dialect evokes novelty, reduces exclusive perceptions, and increases positive emotions. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in negative emotions and an increase in positive behaviors, including citizenship behaviors exhibited by tourists.

6. Discussion, Implications, and Limitations

6.1. Discussion

This study focuses on dialects as an example of its influence on the citizenship behaviors of young tourists and further explores the role of host–guest factors in cultural sustainability, yielding the following results: First, this research assesses the relationship between tourists’ dialect perceptions and their subsequent behaviors, thereby contributing to the existing literature on dialects. The existing dialect studies have mostly examined the macro role of dialect in terms of its economic value [1], social value [3], and cultural value [4], neglecting the impact of dialect on tourists’ experiences and behaviors. However, the behaviors of young tourists also play an important role in promoting dialect’s sustainable cultural development [9]. Therefore, compared to most studies that examine the macro value of dialects [36], this research deepens our understanding of the impact of dialects on tourist behaviors. It provides a new perspective on the micro effects of dialects. The study reveals that dialects not only promote economic growth [1] and social progress [3], but also is a form of authentic experience [1]. It also provides tourists with an unfamiliar and novel tourism experience [5], creates a good host–guest interaction effect [83], and helps to stimulate tourists’ proactive behaviors (i.e., tourist citizenship behaviors) [84]. This finding extends the work of previous scholars on the impact of authentic tourism experiences on tourist behaviors [36,83,84] and links destination dialects to tourist behaviors.

Secondly, this study found that young tourists’ exclusive perceptions and negative emotions have a significant negative impact on tourist citizenship behaviors and play a mediating role in the relationship between destination dialect perceptions and tourist citizenship behaviors. Previous studies on tourist citizenship behaviors have focused on identifying its facilitators, such as value co-creation [113] and perceived preferential treatment [114]. However, few studies have focused on eliminating its inhibitors. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring new intrinsic psychological inhibiting factors for such behaviors, namely exclusive perceptions and negative emotions. The results of this study also confirmed the negative impact of exclusive perceptions and negative emotions on tourists’ behaviors [89], and further explored their negative and mediating effects on tourists’ citizenship behaviors. In other words, dialects offer tourists a novel cultural experience [5], alleviating feelings of being overlooked [49] and reducing exclusive perceptions and negative emotions. Exclusions have been shown to weaken young tourists’ sense of belonging, purpose, and autonomy [42], leading to unmet social needs and triggering negative emotions such as depression [17]. Thus, the novelty of the destination dialect undermines tourists’ exclusive perceptions and negative emotions, thus contributing to an increase in proactive behaviors (i.e., tourists’ citizenship behaviors) [96].

It is important to note that the results of this study show that destination dialects have a significant negative effect on exclusive perceptions and negative emotions, a finding that is inconsistent with previous studies [32]. Previous studies have argued that destination dialects are languages spoken within a specific region [1,33], and that the linguistic distance between the host and the guest creates an in-group and out-group bias that reduces contact between the host and the guest [115], increases psychological distance [5,32], and reduces cultural identity [37], thereby reducing tourists’ understanding and experience of the destination and creating exclusive perceptions and negative emotions [40]. However, the results of the present study overturned these inherent perceptions. But these findings are inconsistent with previous studies but still align with the principles of the emotional event theory. The emotional event theory posits that emotions (i.e., exclusive perceptions) stem from an individual’s cognitive evaluation of events (i.e., destination dialect perceptions), which in turn affects attitudes (i.e., negative emotions) and behaviors (i.e., tourist citizenship behaviors) [64,116]. In addition, incorporating dialect elements into the destination can create a unique cultural atmosphere, enhance the destination’s images [117], and resonate with tourists’ preconceived notions [88]. This consistency fosters positive emotions and alleviates exclusive perceptions and negative emotions.

6.2. Theoretical Implications

This study enriches the existing studies from several perspectives. First, this study confirms the sensory marketing theory, which states that sensory factors influence tourists’ emotions and behaviors [21]. There is a wide range of sensory characteristics and vibrant auditory studies. Researchers have studied the influence of sensory factors on consumers from various auditory types, such as music [118,119]. However, as an essential language, there is a gap in studies on the influence mechanism of dialects. This study expands the scope of sensory perception studies by focusing on the influence of destination dialects as an auditory element on tourists. Therefore, this study enriches the theoretical system of sensory marketing and lays a solid foundation for future academic studies.

Second, this study helps to recognize the role of dialects better and expand the scope of dialect studies. Taking dialect as one of the crucial ways of host–guest interactions, the existing studies mostly explore the positive effects of dialect from a holistic perspective [5], and there is still a lack of understanding of the psychological and behavioral mechanisms of the role of dialect [36]. Taking the destination dialect as the research object, this study links “destination dialect perceptions” with “tourist citizenship behaviors”. It explores the psychological and behavioral mechanisms of the factors of host–guest interactions in tourism. This study introduces a new perspective on dialects and provides a theoretical basis for managers to understand better the relationship between dialects and tourist citizenship behaviors.

Third, this study discusses the mediating role of exclusive perceptions and negative emotions in triggering tourist citizenship behaviors. There is a wealth of studies on the mechanisms that generate tourist citizenship behaviors. For example, when tourists perceive preferential treatment, the moral emotion of gratitude is generated, which stimulates citizenship behaviors, namely giving back [113,114]. However, most extant studies concentrate on the facilitative factors influencing tourist citizenship behaviors, with fewer studies examining the inhibitory factors [92]. This study employs exclusive perceptions and negative emotions as mediating variables to elucidate the pathways through which negative cognitions generated by dialect perceptions affect tourist citizenship behaviors. This contributes to a more profound comprehension of the factors influencing tourist citizenship behaviors while offering a novel perspective for future studies.

Finally, this study demonstrates the significant contribution of youth tourists to cultural tourism, which is vital for advancing sustainable cultural development. The younger generation constitutes the backbone of efforts to promote sustainable social development [120]. However, they are primarily excluded from sustainable social transformation [11]. Furthermore, the youth have a low rate of dialect usage, which could be more conducive to preserving and inheriting dialects. This study takes young tourists as the research object, and by studying their destination dialect perceptions, we further explore how to stimulate their citizenship behaviors and promote sustainable cultural development.

6.3. Practical Implications

The findings of this study have significant implications for the sustainable development of tourist destinations and associated cultures.

Firstly, sustainable development of a destination with a distinctive dialect culture can be achieved by focusing on two key areas: the creation of a cultural atmosphere based on the dialect and improving dialect-related services. An artistic atmosphere enhances the tourist experience [121] and promotes positive behaviors [122]. A favorable cultural atmosphere is also conducive to sustainable cultural development [123]. The findings of this study indicate that destination dialect perceptions are associated with increased intentions of engaging in positive behaviors, which in turn contributes to the sustainable development of the destination culture. Consequently, destinations may facilitate interactions between tourists and the local culture by fostering a robust dialect-centric ambiance and offering meticulous dialect-oriented services. For example, destinations may utilize the distinctive dialect of the destination to develop a dialect service that encompasses the pre-tour, tour, and post-tour phases. Before the tour, the destination can utilize promotional videos, dialect songs, and comprehensive information to promote the destination dialect [36], enhance tourists’ comprehension of the dialect, augment the destination’s image, and attract tourists. During the tour, the provision of quality dialect products and considerate dialect services represent important avenues for enhancing the tourist experience [5]. It is possible for destinations to facilitate tourists’ multimodal interactions with the destination dialect by, for instance, establishing facilities such as dialect walls and dialect audio museums. Furthermore, the provision of thoughtful service represents an important means of enhancing the recognition of dialect in a specific destination [124]. Tourism destinations must prioritize the training and selection of employees. These individuals must possess a welcoming service and a comprehensive understanding of the dialect [125]. Additionally, they must facilitate dialectal explanations for tourists, thereby enhancing their comprehension of the tour, fostering a deeper appreciation for dialectal cultures, and reducing exclusive perceptions or negative emotions. This, in turn, encourages positive citizenship behaviors and contributes to the promotion of cultural sustainability. Following the tour, the destination can further reinforce tourists’ memories of the dialect by creating dialect-themed souvenirs.

Secondly, the distinction between languages is not merely a matter of voice and intonation; it also encompasses the evident divergence in the mother tongues of tourists from disparate countries or regions. The findings of this study are significant in terms of understanding the quality of interactions between hosts and guests and are crucial for the sustainable development of destination tourism and culture. In light of the discrepancies in native languages, employees must prioritize interactions with tourists and enhance the caliber of host–guest interactions. To improve the quality of interactions, it is essential to train employees to develop their linguistic abilities [126]. This strategy not only elevates the professional competence of the staff but also mitigates linguistic disparities, thereby significantly enriching the tourist experience. Furthermore, tourists’ feedback represents an effective method for improving the quality of interactions. Tourism operators collect effective feedback from tourists through questionnaires and other techniques, and they must enhance the quality of service and interactions based on this feedback.

Ultimately, the sustainable development of destinations and cultures must prioritize youth activism. The youth is the most dynamic demographic, and the positive evolution of the behaviors of young tourists is crucial for the sustainable development of destinations [127]. It is, therefore, imperative that destination development emphasize the agency of young tourists. Consequently, it is incumbent upon managers to prioritize the quality of the experience for young tourists and to devise a range of strategies to encourage their active involvement in destination development. For instance, it would be beneficial to provide engaging explanations and straightforward dialect explanations for younger tourists while also emphasizing the cultural experience for tourists.

6.4. Limitations and Future Research

While this study provides valuable theoretical and practical insights, it has limitations.

With reference to the sensory marketing theory, this study examined the impact of destination dialects on tourists and cultural development by using dialects as an important mode of host–guest interactions. The dialects explored in this study are only from the one-dimensional sense of auditory. However, tourists’ senses are not just a collection of discrete elements, but a complex and interconnected system [52]. Similarly, dialects constitute a multimodal linguistic landscape, encompassing both visual and auditory sensory dimensions. The auditory aspect of dialects includes not only the local vernacular used by destination residents but also destination songs and destination promotion videos. The visual landscape of dialects is primarily manifested in the form of dialect walls, sound museums, and related souvenirs [128,129,130]. Subsequent studies should expand the study of dialects in the field of tourism, such as examining the multisensory interactions between tourists and destinations through visual and auditory modalities, and comparing the impact of dialects across different sensory dimensions on tourists and tourism destinations. Secondly, future studies could focus on exploring the interactive effects of multiple sensory dimensions to gain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which dialects exert their influence.

Furthermore, this study uses dialects as an example to discuss the impact of host–guest interactions on cultural sustainability development during the tourism process. However, the influence of destination dialects on tourists is not limited to the tourism process itself; the pre-tour and post-tour stages also play a significant role in cultural sustainability. How dialects function in these two stages is a topic worth considering for future studies. Additionally, this study primarily employs self-reported surveys to measure destination dialect perceptions, but the impact of recall bias on the research findings is not yet clear [131]. Future studies can further diversify research methods. For instance, experimental methods could be used to enhance participants’ sense of presence and improve the accuracy of measurements.

Dialects in the field of tourism are not only an important means of host–guest interactions [6] but also a significant tourism attraction [5]. However, there is limited understanding of them in tourism. Future studies can use grounded theory, interviews, and other methods to further explore the connotations of dialects, thereby deepening the cognition of dialects. Similarly, exclusive perceptions in tourism have not received adequate recognition. However, as an important social scenario, exclusive perceptions are a significant factor affecting tourists’ experiences [14,17]. In contrast to exclusion in other contexts, exclusion in tourism is a form of rejection from strangers [132]. Future studies can also deepen the understanding of exclusive perceptions in tourism. In addition, the findings of this study on the relationship between destination dialects, exclusive perceptions, and negative emotions differ from previous studies. It is necessary for future studies to continue to examine the conclusions of this study to more accurately reflect the logical relationships between constructs.