Research

21 pages, 3013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Uses of Reconstructing Heritage in China: Tourism, Heritage Authorization, and Spatial Transformation of the Shaolin Temple

by Xiaoyan Su, Changqing Song and Gary Sigley

Sustainability 2019, 11(2), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020411 - 15 Jan 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6154

Abstract

Recently, debates on authenticity in the West and China have attracted attention of critical heritage studies. This paper aims to better understand how Western Authorized Heritage Discourse (AHD) influences local heritage practice in China. This paper employs observation, semi-structured interviews and textual analysis [...] Read more.

Recently, debates on authenticity in the West and China have attracted attention of critical heritage studies. This paper aims to better understand how Western Authorized Heritage Discourse (AHD) influences local heritage practice in China. This paper employs observation, semi-structured interviews and textual analysis to examine how authenticity criteria in Western AHD has shaped perceptions on the spatial consequences of what is “authentic” by different agents in regards to the cultural heritage of the Shaolin Temple. It is argued that the implementation of authenticity criteria found in Western AHD influences Shaolin heritage practice both in hegemonic and negotiated ways, in which a Chinese AHD is formed through the creation of a Western AHD with Chinese characteristics. The understandings on authenticity criteria derived from Western AHD by Chinese heritage experts dominates Shaolin heritage practice, whilst the perceptions on “authentic” Shaolin Temple cultural heritage attached closely to their emotions and experiences by local residents are neglected and excluded. The religiously based authenticity claims of the Shaolin monks which competes with those of the heritage experts and local residents are also considered. Furthermore, the managerial structure was changed in 2010 from a government-directed institution to a joint-venture partnership. The impacts of these managerial changes are also considered. The final outcome of these competing heritage claims was that local residents were relocated far from their original community. Without the residential community in situ, and in conjunction with the further commercialization of local culture, the Shaolin Temple heritage site takes on the features of a pseudo-classic theme park. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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19 pages, 5090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Value-Based Profiles of Visitors to a World Heritage Site: The Case of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (in South Korea)

by Hwasung Song and Hyun Kim

Sustainability 2019, 11(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010132 - 27 Dec 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3870

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the place value of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Korea, a mountain fortress located in natural resources with UNESCO World Heritage Site status, in order to classify visitors according to place value and to establish marketing [...] Read more.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the place value of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Korea, a mountain fortress located in natural resources with UNESCO World Heritage Site status, in order to classify visitors according to place value and to establish marketing strategies based on the characteristics of each profile. In particular, for sustainable cultural heritage development, visitors were asked to evaluate the place value of the site from various perspectives, through a presentation of government policies and business based on both the world heritage value and the inherent attractiveness of the site. Utilizing a person-centered approach, a latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to a sample of visitors to Hwaseong Fortress (N = 656), with visitors classified by place value into four profiles: Outing Seekers (OS), Tourism Seekers (TS), Heritage Seekers (HS), and Serious Travel Seekers (SS). These profiles differed in relation to distance from the study setting from travelers’ residence, recognition of the fortress as a World Heritage site, and the degree to which the World Heritage site status influenced the decision to visit. The profiles also showed differences in visit satisfaction and intent to revisit. This study contributes a better understanding of visitors’ evaluated value of heritage sites and corresponding behaviors, in order to provide sustainable management for the heritage tourism market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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20 pages, 700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Tourist-Based Model of Authenticity of Heritage Sporting Events: The Case of Naadam

by Tao Zhang, Huijun Wen and Xi Li

Sustainability 2019, 11(1), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010108 - 25 Dec 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4438

Abstract

As one of the important forms of intangible cultural heritage, heritage sporting events are becoming a potential catalyst of tourism. Commodification of heritage sporting events becomes popular for local authorities to boost economic development and express cultural authenticity, given that authenticity creates genuine [...] Read more.

As one of the important forms of intangible cultural heritage, heritage sporting events are becoming a potential catalyst of tourism. Commodification of heritage sporting events becomes popular for local authorities to boost economic development and express cultural authenticity, given that authenticity creates genuine performances and moving tourism experiences. However, commodification of heritage is a double-edged sword. It is a dilemma to commercialize a heritage sporting event while keeping its authenticity. Therefore, this study proposes a tourist-based model of authenticity to solve this problem, in which the authenticity of heritage sporting events incorporates “cool” and “hot” factors. The model examines these factors and their impact on tourist satisfaction and loyalty using Naadam as the example. Seven hundred questionnaires were distributed at six sites located from east to west of the Inner Mongolia, China. Factor analysis shows there are two factors in cool and hot authenticity, respectively. Both factors of cool authenticity have direct impacts on hot authenticity, satisfaction, and loyalty. Though both intrapersonal and interpersonal factors of hot authenticity have direct positive impacts on tourist satisfaction, only the former affects loyalty directly. The results show the authenticity of event culture is the most important and effective authentic factor, while authentic auxiliary products—the direct expression of commodification—is indispensable for authenticity. This study is helpful for maintaining authenticity and cultural sustainability of heritage sporting events as a destination tourism attraction, given the fact that commodification and the marketing of heritage sporting events has become popular for heritage destination development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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14 pages, 1213 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Airbnb Branding: Heritage as a Branding Element in the Sharing Economy

by Alvaro Fierro and Ibon Aranburu

Sustainability 2019, 11(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010074 - 23 Dec 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5843

Abstract

The cultural heritage of cities has been proven to be a generator of economic activity and a singular place branding/marketing tool for territories. In addition, in recent times, there has been a boom in the collaborative economy in urban destinations, epitomized by accommodation [...] Read more.

The cultural heritage of cities has been proven to be a generator of economic activity and a singular place branding/marketing tool for territories. In addition, in recent times, there has been a boom in the collaborative economy in urban destinations, epitomized by accommodation companies, such as Airbnb. The main objective of this article was to analyze how cultural heritage adds value to the collaborative economy. To this end, a method was proposed that analyzed Airbnb host descriptions, detecting the cultural and heritage goods mentioned, therein, which are used as marketing elements. From these cultural assets, various econometric models were generated that aimed to assess the number of guest reviews, which were used as a proxy for the number of guests. To evaluate this method, a case study was developed in the city of Bilbao. In view of the results, it can be concluded that cultural heritage and spatial location positively influence the activity of the collaborative economy, increasing the number of guests and their economic value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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26 pages, 2815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heritage Image and Attitudes toward a Heritage Site: Do They Really Mediate the Relationship between User-Generated Content and Travel Intentions toward a Heritage Site?

by Shafaqat Mehmood, Changyong Liang and Dongxiao Gu

Sustainability 2018, 10(12), 4403; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124403 - 25 Nov 2018

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5330

Abstract

Traveling to heritage sites represents a growing sector with great potential in the context of heritage tourism, which is a relevant topic but has received little scholarly attention. The present study tries to bridge this gap by investigating the mediating role of heritage [...] Read more.

Traveling to heritage sites represents a growing sector with great potential in the context of heritage tourism, which is a relevant topic but has received little scholarly attention. The present study tries to bridge this gap by investigating the mediating role of heritage image and attitudes toward a heritage site in the relationship between user-generated content (UGC) and travel intention toward a heritage site. In particular, we applied partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), which is a relatively popular new method, instead of the traditionally used covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) method. The rise in popularity of PLS-SEM has been particularly noticeable since 2013, but in the area of heritage tourism, research is still in an early stage of development because the heritage discipline has hardly exploited the benefits of this approach. We proposed a multimediation model for heritage tourism to address this relatively new research avenue. It was discovered that exogenous variables directly and indirectly influenced travel intentions toward a heritage site through their mediators (i.e., heritage image and attitudes toward a heritage site). The findings provide an appropriate empirical and theoretical conclusion as well as valuable insights for heritage management organizations (HMOs) into the performance of heritage tourism, both for local professionals and the host communities that assist in increasing the development of heritage tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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14 pages, 295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating International Tourists’ Perceptions on Cultural Distance and Recreation Demand

by Chun-Hung Lee, Han-Shen Chen, Gwo-Bao Liou, Bi-Kun Tsai and Chi-Ming Hsieh

Sustainability 2018, 10(12), 4360; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124360 - 22 Nov 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3350

Abstract

This study employed the travel cost method (TCM) to establish the on-site Poisson model to measure differences in the recreation benefits of Chinese inbound tourists based on the identified cultural distance clusters. Four clusters among the extracted factors of delineated perceptions on cultural [...] Read more.

This study employed the travel cost method (TCM) to establish the on-site Poisson model to measure differences in the recreation benefits of Chinese inbound tourists based on the identified cultural distance clusters. Four clusters among the extracted factors of delineated perceptions on cultural distance were identified through the cluster analysis. This study finds that: (1) among four identified cognitive factors of the cultural distance, “social environment” and “personal relationship” were found to be more important than “living arrangement” and “verbal communication” factors; (2) the four cultural distance clusters differ significantly in terms of perceptions on the cultural distance; (3) the economic benefits of culture and heritage tourism ranged between US$4733 to US$6740 for average annual Chinese visitor numbers to Taiwan; (4) the “similar living habits” cluster had higher recreation benefits than the other three cultural distance clusters. The government and travel industries should pay attention to target segments in order to enhance the cultural heritage experience, by delivering an appropriate quality of service to match visitors’ needs and living habits, which in turn, impacts their revisit intent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

20 pages, 445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Landscape to Mindscape: Spatial Narration of Touristic Amsterdam

by Tianchen Dai, Taozhi Zhuang, Juan Yan and Tong Zhang

Sustainability 2018, 10(8), 2623; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082623 - 26 Jul 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4487

Abstract

The cultural attributes of architecture in touristic cities are vital to city image building, city branding, and rebranding, as well as generating more economic profits for sustainable urban development, and protecting cultural sustainability. However, many studies on this theme focus on the singularity [...] Read more.

The cultural attributes of architecture in touristic cities are vital to city image building, city branding, and rebranding, as well as generating more economic profits for sustainable urban development, and protecting cultural sustainability. However, many studies on this theme focus on the singularity of architecture referring to its stylistic or morphological definitions, lacking attention to visitors’ cultural experiences in the architectures. Considering the importance of personal experience involved in cultural activities as a process of spatial narration through which architecture makes sense to visitors and generates cultural values, the aim of this paper is to reveal the respective correlations between different types of architecture regarding the cultural experience it imparts and the non-positive dimensions of the city image. This research builds a categorization system of three cultural types of architecture, and designs a questionnaire to collect tourists’ personal opinions concerning architectures and the city image of Amsterdam’s waterfront in order to calculate such correlations statistically. The results associate architectures with ‘tourism-oriented’, ‘present/process-based’, and ‘mass’ cultural types with non-positive dimensions of city image, which leads to further discussions of ‘authenticity’, ‘identity’, and ‘mass culture’, suggesting the significance of urban cultural policies and local communities in terms of city rebranding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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21 pages, 4323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Cultural Heritage Tourism on Tourist Word of Mouth: The Case of Lok Versa Festival, Pakistan

by Muhammad Hasnain Abbas Naqvi, Yushi Jiang, Mishal Hasnain Naqvi, Miao Miao, Changyong Liang and Shafaqat Mehmood

Sustainability 2018, 10(7), 2391; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072391 - 09 Jul 2018

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5584

Abstract

Festivals are the most viable source of tourism promotion and provide recognition to different cultures and communities. This paper proposed and examined a holistic model of festival word of mouth (WOM), which is influenced by authenticity, promotion, loyalty, quality, and satisfaction. Accordingly, the [...] Read more.

Festivals are the most viable source of tourism promotion and provide recognition to different cultures and communities. This paper proposed and examined a holistic model of festival word of mouth (WOM), which is influenced by authenticity, promotion, loyalty, quality, and satisfaction. Accordingly, the current paper investigated the effect of the proposed model with reference to Lok Virsa handicrafts, the most famous festival of the Islamabad region in Pakistan. The findings revealed that the festival quality has direct impact on WOM and promotion. Promotion has a positive influence on loyalty, satisfaction, and WOM. Festival authenticity strongly influences promotion, quality, satisfaction, and WOM. Festival satisfaction is positively related to WOM and loyalty. Whereas, festival loyalty and WOM are significantly associated. The results suggest that festival organizers should deliver the claims and promises in the festival that they have made with tourists. This technique will harvest positive WOM and increase tourist re-visitation to upcoming festivals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heritage Tourism)

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