Exploring tour member misbehavior in group package tours

摘要

The phenomenon of tour member misbehavior is common in the practical operation of tour groups, but it hasn't been elucidated by previous studies. Hence, this study aims to explore tour member misbehavior. A qualitative approach and content analysis were conducted, resulting in five themes of tour member misbehavior: (1) misbehavior detrimental to group operation; (2) misbehavior toward: the tour leader; (3) misbehavior toward tour members; (4) misbehavior toward the tourism environment; and (5) misbehavior toward tourism organizations. In addition to contributing to the current knowledge of both customer misbehavior and tour group dynamics, the prevention mechanisms and post-incident response strategies are provided to tour operators as well as tour leaders in the practice of tour guides. This study also puts forward the research limitations and the suggestions for future research direction.