Solidarity at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove—a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Destinations that remain proactive in planning for tourism development are best served by examining the relationship that exists between residents of and tourists to the area. Considering the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and the annual Osun Osogbo Festival (both in honor of the Fertility Goddess, Osun) in Osogbo, Nigeria, this study examines the extant relationship of destination residents and tourists in the Global South through the use of the Emotional Solidarity Scale (ESS). Results revealed strong psychometric properties and consistent factor structure of the ESS, while demonstrating usability of the measure in a context outside of the USA. Residents and tourists reported significantly different levels of emotional solidarity on two of the three ESS factors (e.g. emotional closeness and sympathetic understanding), where, in each instance, tourists reported a significantly higher degree of solidarity with residents than did residents with tourists. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.