Grounded in Weber’s theory of formal and substantive rationality, this study aims to examine the influences of economic and noneconomic factors, namely resident empowerment and trust, on resident support for gaming tourism, a controversial type of tourism development. In particular, with data collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study also examines how resident perceptions of economic and noneconomic benefits of tourism have changed as a result of the pandemic. Findings show that perceived economic benefits and trust in government were significant determinants before and during the pandemic; however, the effects of empowerment seem to be mixed, depending on how controversial gaming tourism was at the time of data collection. Results suggest gaming tourism is viewed more critically during periods of high volume and that when gaming tourism dries up, residents start to become more supportive and to see the economic and noneconomic benefits in a different light.

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Resident attitude research often combines heterogenous types of tourism together asking residents to evaluate support for all types of tourism rather than parsing out the intricacies associated with different types of tourism. This study deviates by applying Weber's Theory of Formal and Substantive Rationality (WTFSR) to compare the divergent effects of both economic and non‐economic factors on residents' support for two forms of tourism development: mass and alternative tourism (gaming and cultural tourism in Macao in this case). Findings suggest economic benefits and psychological empowerment lead to support for both gaming and cultural tourism development with the effect of economic benefits more prominent over support for gaming tourism, and psychological empowerment more influential over support for cultural tourism. In addition, social empowerment is only significant in predicting support for gaming tourism while political empowerment predicts neither. Findings also suggest economic benefits appear to be an antecedent to psychological, social and political empowerment.

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The mental wellness of hospitality workers has been alarming since the onset of the pandemic. Underpinned by the Job Demand–Resource (JD–R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this research examines the interactive effect of personal and job resources on burnout with job complexity exacerbated by the pandemic. Specifically, the research examines the relationships between job complexity, employee burnout, and organizational commitment. The research also scrutinizes the moderating effect of proactive personality on the job complexity–burnout nexus; and three-way interactions between job complexity, proactive personality, and two types of workplace support; namely organizational and supervisor support. A valid sample of 610 employees working in 5-star and 4-star hotels in Macao was analyzed with PLS-SEM and PROCESS. The results reveal that job complexity triggers employee burnout, which adversely influences organizational commitment. Surprisingly, a proactive personality does not mitigate the positive job complexity–burnout nexus. Instead, it aggravates the detrimental effect of job complexity. Fortunately, such detrimental impacts can be alleviated by organizational and supervisor support. The findings also offer practical insights for hotel practitioners to safeguard their employees’ well-being during an uncertain era.

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“A friend in need is a friend indeed” well elucidates international support amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a dual-process model of emotional appraisal, this mixed-methods research aims to investigate positive psychological responses to international support. Study 1 is a multilevel investigation of the relationships between perceived support, gratitude evoked, and change in attitude toward the benefactor countries. The moderating role of motivational relevance—the province-level prevalence of COVID-19—is also examined. Study 2 uses text mining to analyze online reviews retrieved from a social media platform. The results substantiate aid-induced gratitude and reciprocity manifested through travel intentions and unravel additional factors of motivational relevance—timing, type of support, political and cultural connotations, and comparative appraisals. Study 3 employs an experimental design to validate the causal relationships and reinforces the dual-appraisal mechanism. Managerial implications are provided for destination marketers and industry practitioners to leverage positive psychology for post-pandemic promotion.