The role of social identity between community motivation and intention to participate in tourism development in Malaysia

Social identity plays a crucial role on the participation of community in tourism development; however, this importance is rarely emphasized. To fill the gap, this study examines the role of social identity on the relationship between community motivation and intention to participate in tourism development. To this end, a quantitative approach via questionnaire survey method was adopted to collect data from 382 respondents from the six districts of Langkawi in Malaysia. The data were subsequently analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The study's results established the mediating effect of social identity on the association between motivation, attitude, expectation of benefit, knowledge, opportunity for the community and the intention to participate in sustainable tourism development. It was also observed that factors such as attitude, opportunity, knowledge, expected benefit and motivation influence the community's participation intention in tourism development. The study also emphasized the need for the government to encourage community participation, neutralize participation constraints and promote community collaboration by organizing training for the community and defining policies that will inspire community participation. The results of this study contribute to the existing literature on community participation and tourism development.