The obstacle to building a mutual regulation system: Exploring people's intervention intention toward tourists' deviant behavior

Mutual regulation among tourists is an interpersonal management perspective to curb tourists' deviant behavior. However, this method has not played its due role since many people choose to remain silent when witnessing tourists' deviant behavior. Based on deontic justice theory and social cognitive theory of morality, this study provides a theoretical explanation of this phenomenon. Through two quasi-experiments, this study found that people's fear of retaliation from the transgressor is an obstacle to building a mutual regulation system. This study extends the management of tourists' deviant behavior to the interpersonal level. By studying the interactions between tourists, this study also enriches the research on travel fear. Mutual regulation can help form a three-level management system for tourists' deviant behavior.