Cues for Caution

What is the most effective signage? Great signage is an intervention designed to guide tourist safety behaviors by aligning visual cues with message framing. Being aware that there is an interaction between sign shapes (circular vs. angular) and persuasive appeals (warm vs. competent) can help influence how visitors perceive risk and respond in tourism environments.

Zhong et al. (2025) investigate how this approach can encourage safer behaviors at tourist attractions. Through a series of scenario-based and field-based experiments, they test whether matching specific shapes with appeals produces stronger effects on safety outcomes.

The results showed that circular signs paired with warm appeals, and angular signs paired with competent appeals, were most effective. These combinations increased tourists’ risk aversion and promoted safer behavior, supporting the idea that visual and verbal cues work best when congruent.

For those managing destinations, the study highlights that well-designed signage can improve visitor safety in a subtle and effective way. By aligning sign design with message tone, attractions can encourage risk-averse behaviors without disrupting the visitor experience.

The study can be found here.

Zhong, H., Zou, Y., Hao, F., Fang, Y., & Ng, W. (2025). Shaping safety: Effective signage for tourist attractions. Tourism Management, 110, 105186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105186