Shaping safety: Effective signage for tourist attractions

Abstract

This study explores the matching effect between safety sign shapes (circular vs. angular) and safety persuasive appeals (warm vs. competent) on tourists' safety behavior. Three scenario-based and two field-based experiments were conducted to collect data on tourists' responses to different combinations of sign shapes and appeals. Findings indicate that matching circular signs with warm appeals and angular signs with competent appeals enhances tourists' risk aversion and safety behavior. The results contribute to the extension of the social information processing theory in explaining the matching effect of visual and textual cues on safety behavior, adding to the literature on safety signage design. Managerial implications suggest that destination managers can improve tourists’ safety behavior by aligning safety sign shapes with appropriate persuasive appeals, thereby enhancing destination safety.