Purpose This paper aims to introduce the psychological variable of “social distance” and use SEM to analyze the relationship between tourism service providers’ physical attractiveness (SPPA) and tourists’ perceptions of social distance, stereotypes and service quality.

Design/methodology/approach The data collectors were instructed to convenience sampling tourists in Guangzhou Chimelong Tourist Resort, the biggest resort in South China and 334 valid questionnaires were collected. This study used CFA to confirm the measurement model and to check the reliability and validity of the constructs. Using Mplus 7.0, SEM was performed to test the hypotheses of this study.

Findings The study found that tourism SPPA can improve tourists’ stereotype perception by reducing the social distance between tourists and service providers, which ultimately improves service quality. This study also found that only warmth perception can significantly improve the service quality evaluation of tourists, with competence perception having no significant effect.

Originality/value This study focused on the SPPA in tourism services, expanding the research on tourism service management and on the effect of physical attractiveness; enriched the stereotype content model and behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes map by clarifying the mediating role of social distance and stereotypes; found different roles played by the competence and warmth stereotype in the enhancement effect; helped find an insightful strategy to improve service quality by recruiting and training employees intentionally