Restriction reduction: The effects of mobility restriction on consumers’ preferences for advertisements of tourism products

Individuals frequently experience restrictions in their mobility owing to circumstances outside of their control. This paper examines the effect of mobility restrictions on individuals’ perceptions of personal freedom, and subsequent preferences for tourism advertisements. In a secondary data analysis and three experiments, we show that physical confinement triggered by restricted mobility causes individuals to psychologically feel that their personal freedoms are threatened. In turn, these experiences result in a compensatory response, where people more strongly prefer advertisements that signal scarcity-reduction over advertisements that signal control-restoration. This effect is mitigated when people are prevention-oriented and is reversed when the restrictions are enacted absolutely (without ambiguity and possible mutability). We discuss the implications of our findings for advertising practice and strategies for tourism product placement.