Does visual pollution increase deviant tourist behavioral intention? From the perspective of aesthetic cues

While beautiful landscapes captivate tourists and evoke positive emotions, visual pollution (e.g., excessive signage, incongruent sculptures) can disrupt tourist experiences. This study examines how visual pollution influences deviant tourist behavior, a growing concern in recent years. Adopting a multi-method approach that includes text mining of online reviews, field observation, the Implicit Association Test, scenario-based narrative game, and controlled experiments, this study demonstrates that visual pollution leads to higher deviant behavioral intention through the sequential mediating effect of aesthetic dissonance and negative emotion. Moreover, cognitive processing style and aesthetic sensitivity are found to moderate the effect of visual pollution. Visualizers and individuals with high aesthetic sensitivity, who are more attuned to aesthetic disruptions, react more negatively. By bridging theories of environmental aesthetics and aesthetic dissonance, this research underscores the importance of preserving visually harmonious landscapes to enhance visitor experience and promote responsible tourism.