When justice matters: Reflections of negative tourist-to-tourist interactions in five-star hotels

Although tourists' interactions with each other are an inevitable factor influencing the tourism experience, this topic remains under-researched. Particularly in the context of negative interactions, the gap in the literature is more pronounced. To address this gap, the emotional and behavioral consequences of negative interactions among tourists staying in 5-star hotels in Istanbul were examined using Affective Events Theory (AET). Moreover, cultural distance was evaluated as a potential mediator in the relationship between tourists' negative interaction experiences and happiness. The study also explored whether perceived justice moderates the relationship between tourist happiness and post-consumption behavioral intentions. Data collected from face-to-face surveys with 347 tourists were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that all three dimensions of negative tourist-to-tourist interactions negatively influence tourist happiness; direct and indirect interpersonal negative interactions significantly increase cultural distance, whereas site directed negative interactions do not. Tourist happiness positively impacts post-consumption behavioral intentions, and perceived justice moderates the negative effects of unhappiness on behavioral intentions, redirecting them in a more positive direction. This study extends the AET framework within the context of negative tourist-to-tourist interactions, offering original contributions to the tourism literature. It also provides practical implications for hotel managers, highlighting the importance of reinforcing perceived justice to moderate the effects of negative customer experiences.