Self-image, self-perception, and self-congruence in the resident–tourist duality

Abstract

This study examines how individuals perceive themselves and behave when transitioning between their roles as residents and tourists, addressing the limited integration of this perspective in tourism research. Drawing on the concept of self-perception and self-congruence, it explores whether individuals maintain consistent attitudes and behaviours across roles or exhibit forms of moral hypocrisy. Adopting an exploratory quantitative approach, data were collected through an online survey (n = 443) using convenience sampling. Exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis, and Chi-square tests were applied to identify resident and tourist profiles and assess their alignment. The results indicate that, while coherence between roles generally prevails, certain profiles display inconsistencies between self-perception and behaviour. The study contributes to a more integrated understanding of resident-tourist dual roles and provides directions for future research in this field.