Work

The Effects of Perceived Conflict on Students’ Place Attachment in Campus–Tourism Integrated Spaces: A Case Study of Hunan University, Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area, Changsha

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As university campuses increasingly open to the public and become integrated into urban tourism systems, campus spaces are evolving into institutionalized multifunctional environments shared by students and visitors. However, existing tourism conflict research has mainly focused on traditional resident–tourist relations, with limited attention to institutionalized educational spaces. Taking Hunan University in the Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area, Changsha, as a case study, this study develops a perceived conflict–place attachment–overall impact evaluation framework and tests it using data from 438 student questionnaires and structural equation modeling. The results show that perceived conflict significantly weakens place attachment and reduces students’ positive evaluations of campus tourism impacts, with place attachment serving as a significant mediator. More importantly, the effects are not uniform: only economic and social conflict significantly reduce place attachment, campus belonging amplifies rather than buffers the negative effect of perceived conflict, and study duration does not significantly moderate this relationship. In addition, students whose daily study or living spaces are closer to tourism core areas report stronger perceived conflict and greater vulnerability to its consequences. By showing that tourism conflict in campus spaces is selective and context-dependent, this study extends tourism conflict theory beyond conventional community settings and offers practical implications for conflict-sensitive, spatially differentiated, and student-oriented campus tourism governance.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18094405

Authors: Siyu Zhang, Li Zhu, Haoyu Deng, Quhan Chen, Xiangxiang Chen, Chenxi Song

Institution: Central South University

Language: English

Topic: Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896