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Article

The Effect of the Acculturation of Chinese Immigrants on Tourist Satisfaction and Quality of Life

by
Taeyoung Cho
1,†,
Taesoo Cho
2,† and
Hao Zhang
3,*
1
Department of Hotel Tourism Management, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 38066, Korea
2
School of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Korea
3
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
The first two authors contributed equally to this work.
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041770
Submission received: 17 December 2020 / Revised: 25 January 2021 / Accepted: 29 January 2021 / Published: 6 February 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainability in Geographic Science)
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Abstract

:
Given the rapidly increasing number of foreign nationals migrating to Korea, this study investigates the relationship between cultural adaptation, tourist satisfaction, and quality of life among Chinese immigrants in Korea. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 344 Chinese immigrants in Korea who visited Gyeongju, where Korean World Heritage sites and modern tourist facilities coexist. A structural equation model was used to verify the hypothesis and indicated that cultural assimilation and cultural separation had a significant effect on tourist satisfaction, whereas cultural integration and cultural change did not have any statistically significant effect on tourist satisfaction. Additionally, tourist satisfaction had a significant effect on quality of life (in terms of subjective well-being and psychological well-being). The results of this study can function as a reference for improving Chinese immigrants’ cultural adaptation, tourist satisfaction, and quality of life.

1. Introduction

As the multicultural population in South Korea has been growing at a rapid rate, the number of foreigners residing in the country accounts for over 2% of the total population. This number is expected to increase sharply to 5% by 2020, 6% by 2030, and 10% by 2050 (Reference). Due to the increasing number of expats residing in the country, numerous social issues surrounding the multicultural population in Korea have gained importance [1,2]. The challenge of adopting a new lifestyle and language in a foreign country in a short space of time can leave expats overburdened and stressed. Newly settled expats in, what is to them, an unfamiliar Korean society experience inconvenience and difficulty that manifest as stress, depression, anxiety, conflicts with family members, human rights violations, and other experiences of conflict due to their cultural differences [3,4]. Owing to these issues, successful settlement into Korean society is attracting social attention, and there is an emerging demand for the improvement of cultural and institutional systems so that foreigners can adapt smoothly to Korean society and culture.
As a result of this social attention, studies on acculturation have been conducted in recent years, with most of them focused on North Korean defectors [5,6], international students [7,8], married migrant women [9,10], and workers [11] as their subjects. Few studies, however, have been conducted based on a single target, and results have largely been produced by surveying multiple subjects at once, with only a few exceptions [12]. These studies are limited insofar as their findings are not produced by a single investigation. Therefore, the present study aims to establish its findings by conducting research on immigrants, workers, and international students, rather than examining one single subject, setting it apart from previous studies, and investigating the factors that affect acculturation by studying touristic activities.
Leisure activities can help to effectively relieve or reduce stress and tension in daily life [13]. Many studies show that touristic activities play a very important role in acculturation [14]. However, as mentioned already, studies on the relationship between touristic activities and acculturation are insufficient, despite the fact that this dynamic can play a major role in solving various social problems in multicultural societies; therefore, the production of research on this topic is urgent. Based on the background of the present study, this study targets Chinese immigrants of the increasing multicultural population, seeking to examine the changes in life after tourism, which is a way to solve the problems that arise from adapting to an environment different from their own culture. It is also necessary to find ways for Chinese immigrants to maintain sustainable settlement in Korean society through these changes. Therefore, this study aims to seek ways to adapt culturally through tourism, and it is different from the existing research and is considered meaningful.
The reason that Chinese immigrants were chosen for this study was that, after the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1992, multicultural families in South Korea became active [15], and for geopolitical reasons, Chinese students accounted for 66% of all international students [2]. Moreover, after 2010, the number of tourists in South Korea increased sharply, reaching 80,677 in 2016, accounting for 46.8% of total inbound arrivals, making China the first inbound market [16,17]. In addition, we selected Gyeongju as the object of our research because it is a city associated with international tourism and is home to the main tourist sites in South Korea, where history and culture live. Moreover, as people have seen improvement in their economic status, their pursuit of both material and spiritual aspects has undergone a qualitative change, and people have begun to think about how to improve their quality of life, which has resulted in an increased demand for leisure activities. Many studies [18,19,20,21,22] confirm that leisure and touristic activities have a direct or indirect effect on subjective well-being and quality of life. However, in the process of changing from a single-ethnicity country to a multicultural country, studies report discrimination and prejudice against the multicultural population. Therefore, we hold that it is valuable to decipher whether Chinese immigrants living in South Korea have sufficient touristic activities to improve their quality of life and whether these touristic activities function effectively to improve it.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of touristic activities in improving the quality of life and cultural adaptation of Chinese immigrants (immigrants, workers, and international students) in a rapidly growing multicultural society. It is essential to empirically identify the relationship between acculturation, tourist satisfaction, and immigrants’ quality of life, and to establish which types of acculturation have an effect on tourist satisfaction and how this affects subjects’ quality of life. The results of this study will have implications for cultural adaptation and tourist satisfaction and could ultimately serve to improve the quality of life of foreigners living in Korea.
This paper begins with a literature review, research hypotheses, and statement of the proposed model. This is followed by a research design regarding the method of data collection and statistical analysis. Subsequently, the results of factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity, and the structural equation model are described. Finally, we conclude with a summary comparing this study to previous studies and offering practical recommendations.

2. Literature Review and Research Hypotheses

2.1. Literature Review

2.1.1. Acculturation

Acculturation is the change in the culture of either or both members when two social groups with different cultural backgrounds experience sustained contact over a relatively long period of time [23]. Anthropologists and sociologists have previously focused on the application of this definition at the group level, but recently, researchers, including psychologists, have begun to take an interest in the psychological changes of the individual experiencing direct cultural contact. The phenomenon experienced by the individual in a group is called psychological acculturation [24]. Acculturation is a neutral term that refers to the experiences of both groups interacting with each other, but in reality, one group will tend to undergo more change than the other [25]. As psychologists began to focus on this field, acculturation was reconceptualised at the individual level to refer to changes involving emotions, behaviour, and cognition [26]. Due to the expanding scope of psychological research on acculturation, the term has been commonly been applied to all levels of groups and individuals. Berry points out that, although the definition is commonly used, it is important not to confuse the individual use of the word with the group level usage in the study of acculturation; when group acculturation takes place, not all individuals within the group have the same experience or degree of participation [26].
In a study on cultural change, Berry claims that, in terms of encompassing emotional behaviour and cognitive domains, the acculturation process consists of four types and two dimensions: cultural integration (AI), cultural assimilation (AA), cultural separation (AS), and cultural marginalization (AM) [26], as shown in Table 1. Cultural integration refers to the ideal scenario whereby the individual maintains their own culture while establishing relationships with existing cultural characteristics and new cultures. Cultural assimilation refers to being passive in maintaining one’s cultural identity and active in pursuing relations with mainstream society, whereas cultural separation is the tendency to maintain one’s own cultural identity and to avoid relationships with mainstream society. Lastly, cultural marginalisation is defined as being passive in maintaining one’s cultural identity and, in order to do so, evading relations with mainstream society. In the research of Zhang et al. [27] and Kim and Lee [2], the dimensions of acculturation were measured in four types of two dimensions, as in Berry’s study. Thus, this study is based on that of Berry, and the research we carried out was understood according to four types and two dimensions: cultural integration, cultural assimilation, cultural separation, and cultural marginalisation.
In North American society, studies on acculturation are conducted by continuously taking immigrants from various cultures as subjects. In Korea, acculturation studies on immigrants are carried out at a time when the country is changing from a single national country to a multicultural society due to its increasing number of immigrants [12]. These have included a verification study on the relationship between the touristic satisfaction and life satisfaction of North Korean refugees [6], a study on the relationship between the accumulated stress and Korean language learning of international students [7], a study on the relationship between intercultural attitudes and the accumulation of Chinese and Japanese international students [8], a study on the accumulation of immigrant women and married immigrants from multicultural families [9,10], and a study on the social accumulation model of Chinese Korean workers in the restaurant industry [11].

2.1.2. Tourist Satisfaction

The degree of tourist satisfaction is determined by personal and subjective evaluations of the tourist attractions experienced in the course of touristic activities corresponding to product consumption. Since it appears as a behavioural intention of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of individual tourists, the concept of tourist satisfaction has been actively considered on the basis of the concept [28,29,30]. Tourist satisfaction is the response or decision following tourists’ feelings or perceptions [31]. Beard and Ragheb define tourist satisfaction as the degree of positive emotion or cognitive degree that is formed after participating in leisure activities of one’s choice [31]. Babin and Griffin described tourist satisfaction as the perceived differences between satisfaction and expectation [32]. If the result is greater than expected, satisfaction has occurred, while if the result is worse than expected, dissatisfaction has occurred. Lounsbury and Polik define the overall post-satisfaction of tourism as a kind of attitude towards a tourism experience, and as a post-fact evaluation of the tourist’s own total experience [33]. Pizam, Neumann, and Reichel define tourist satisfaction as the product of an interaction between an experience and the prior expectations associated with the tourist destination [34]. That satisfaction is determined by social and psychological factors of individual tourists, which include expression, behavior, and desire, as well as the external environments such as weather conditions and social group interactions [35]. Therefore, based on the above definitions, in this study, tourist satisfaction is defined as any positive evaluation made by Chinese people in Korea after experiencing tourism in Gyeongju (including the tourist complex and world cultural heritage sites of Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto). In this way, we conceptualised tourist satisfaction according to various viewpoints.

2.1.3. Quality of Life

The concept of quality of life refers to the perceived satisfaction and happiness of one’s current life [36] and is determined by acquiring the conditions necessary for happiness in a given area of life and society [37]. This means that it is a concept similar to that of the welfare of the individual [38]. Having the basic capability to maintain human life, such as being physically healthy, able to move freely, doing good things, and maintaining social relationships, is also a basic element of a satisfying life [39]. However, in the 1980s, quality of life was defined from a perspective of subjectivity. Szalai defined good quality of life as experiencing a sense of well-being or happiness across various domains of life [40], and Lehman conceptualised quality of life as a sense of well-being and satisfaction experienced by people in their present situation [41]. Ferrans and Power also define it as subjective well-being that each person perceives across physical, mental, and socioeconomic domains [42]. Quality of life is an abstract and complex term and is difficult to define precisely because each researcher has a different approach. The notion of “quality of life” is also implied in a variety of terms, such as well-being, welfare, happiness, feelings of happiness, and subjective well-being [43]. The consensus in recent studies seems to be that that life ought to be taken to refer to the context of overall human experience, while quality can be taken to refer to the valuation thereof as a certain standard [44].
Based on these prior studies, this study approached the concept of quality of life as referring to the subjective well-being felt by human beings in the course of their lives through interaction with the surrounding environment. This means that quality of life refers to an individual having the basic conditions and ability to maintain daily life and satisfy their necessary desires, and finally to live a satisfactory, happy, and meaningful life.
The study of quality of life is largely divided into two areas. First, quality of life refers to subjective well-being, which causes individuals to feel pleasure and a sense of value as a result of life satisfaction while engaging in meaningful activities [45]. Ryff objects to this notion of subjective well-being, but Ryff’s previous studies do not sufficiently define life satisfaction, positive emotions, or negative emotions [46]. Quality of life should also account for attributes that indicate how well an individual is functioning, such as their personal life purpose and directions, the satisfaction of their interpersonal relationships, and their degree of self-realisation. Therefore, according to Ryff, subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) were simultaneously measured in this study.

2.2. Research Hypotheses

2.2.1. Acculturation and Tourist Satisfaction

When leaving their home country and encountering foreign cultures, immigrants, marriage migrants, workers, and foreign students will gradually adapt to their new environment or culture through daily life, study, leisure, sports activities, tourism, etc. Leisure [47] and tourism [14,27] in particular have been shown to facilitate successful settlement in new cultures. Kim’s study shows that there is a positive relationship between an individual’s degree of acculturation and participation in leisure activities [48], while Zhang et al. show that satisfaction achieved through world heritage tourism can improve an individual’s degree of acculturation [27]. In a study by Beard and Ragheb [31], leisure was found to be useful not only to help individuals naturally and flexibly adapt to new societies and cultures but also to experience satisfaction through leisure activities. Kim and Lee [2] show that cultural marginalisation, separation, and assimilation each had a significant effect on touristic satisfaction, but the effect of integration was insignificant. It examined the relationship between cultural adaptation and quality of life for Chinese international students and found out that cultural adaptation is an important preceding variable for leisure satisfaction and the quality of life. Park, Kim, and Kim [5] examine the relationship between acculturation and leisure satisfaction among North Korean defectors and found that the effects of marginalisation and assimilation were significant, but those of integration and separation were not. Kim et al. [4] point out that the enjoyment of married migrant women of leisure activities and leisure satisfaction depends on their type and degree of acculturation (marginalisation, assimilation, localisation, integration, separation) and find that acculturation affects leisure satisfaction. As it showed, the degree of tourist satisfaction can vary depending on the degree of cultural adaptation. In addition, Sung (2011)’s study also showed that cultural adaptation significantly affects the satisfaction of marriage and life and that sustainable cultural adaptation must be a factor that affects the overall life in a migrant society. Based on these studies, we propose hypotheses H1–H4.
Hypothesis 1 (H1).
The acculturation process of integration has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction.
Hypothesis 2 (H2).
The acculturation process of assimilation has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction.
Hypothesis 3 (H3).
The acculturation process of separation has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction.
Hypothesis 4 (H4).
The acculturation process of marginalization has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction.

2.2.2. Tourist Satisfaction and Quality of Life

The study of quality of life is a subject that has been steadily addressed in leisure and tourism [14,49,50,51,52]. In studies on quality of life, many scholars argue that tourism experiences play an important role in improving people’s quality of life [21,44]. In particular, Bamel and Burrus-Bamel argue that by accumulating leisure activity experiences, participants can attain physical, psychological, and other achievements of various types. It is argued that direct and practical satisfaction can be obtained through leisure, such as the establishment of mental and physical health and fatigue recovery, learning techniques, and improved athletic ability [53]. Gilbert and Abdullah [54] state that vacation experiences have a positive effect on subjective well-being, while Richards [55] shows that vacation brings psychological and emotional rest, relaxation, and self-development. Iso-Ahola argues that leisure activities have a positive effect on subjective well-being [19], and Song [6] shows that the touristic satisfaction of North Korean defectors has a significant effect on their life satisfaction, while the study by Park, Kim, and Kim [5] organizes quality of life into one dimension and finds that the relationship between leisure satisfaction and quality of life is significant. Edginton et al. [56] demonstrate that access to leisure and the existence of leisure opportunities are closely related to life satisfaction. Many studies have demonstrated that positive leisure activity experiences and satisfaction with leisure are important factors in improving quality of life [19,21,44]. Additionally, studies showed that satisfaction with tourism had a positive effect on the quality of life [57,58,59]. For immigrants living in foreign countries, touristic leisure activities tend to help stabilise their psychological/social status and improve their quality of life. Therefore, based on the research relayed above, we established hypotheses 5 and 6.
Hypothesis 5 (H5).
Tourist satisfaction has a positive effect on subjects’ subjective evaluation of their quality of life.
Hypothesis 6 (H6).
Tourist satisfaction has a positive effect on subjects’ psychological well-being pertaining to their quality of life.

2.3. Research Model

Based on the above literature review and research hypotheses, this study constructs a structural equation model about acculturation, tourist satisfaction, and quality of life. All hypotheses are shown in Figure 1.

3. Methodology

3.1. Study Site

The sites of this study were the Bomun Tourism Complex, Bulguksa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto. These places were considered suitable for conducting this study because they are places where Chinese people in Korea can go to learn and experience Korean culture. The Bomun Tourism Complex was built around Bomun Lake, an artificial lake at the former site of Myeongseong, which defended the Shilla Seorabeol. It is a place where one can experience modern tourism, and it opened in 1979; there is an expo, convention centre, tourist experience facilities, etc. The Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995.

3.2. Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire used in this study consisted of 20 items to measure acculturation, five items to measure tourist satisfaction, and 28 items to measure subjects’ quality of life. This is relayed in Table 2. Demographic characteristics were obtained, and six questions about gender, age, marital status, and education level were asked. A 5-point Likert scale was applied to all variables except the demographic characteristics, whereby 1 point indicated “strongly disagree”, 3 points indicated “neutral”, and 5 points indicated “strongly agree”. Demographic characteristics were evaluated on a nominal scale.

3.3. Data Collection

To achieve the purpose of this study, empirical research was conducted through research into the relevant literature and the circulation of questionnaires. The questionnaire was distributed at Bomun Tourist Complex and Bulguksa Temple of Gyeonyju, with two questions to establish the subject’s status: “Are you an immigrant or international student or worker? Have you been living in Korea for more than three years?” Only subjects who answered “Yes” to both questions could participate in the self-administered questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted from 1 May 2019 to 31 October 2019, and a total of 400 copies of the final questionnaire were distributed and collected. A total of 344 copies were used for analysis, excluding unreliable responses.

3.4. Statistical Analysis

In this study, the demographic characteristics of the samples were examined using frequency analysis. First, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the proposed measurement model in a structural equation model (SEM). Second, the construct of this study was assessed using convergent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity refers to the degree of association between two constructs, which can be estimated by using correlation coefficients. Discriminant validity tests whether concepts or measurements are supposed to be unrelated or related. Finally, a goodness of fit index (GFI) was used to examine the proposed theoretical model: χ2/df, goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), normative fit index (NFI), comparative fit index (CFI), root mean square residual (RMR), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and other fitting indices. The IBM SPSS 20.0 statistical program (New York, USA) was used to perform frequency analysis and to calculate convergent validity and discriminant validity, and CFA and SEM were carried out using IBM AMOS 20.0 (New York, USA). In addition, Harman’s one-factor verification was used to determine the common method bias [54].

4. Results

4.1. Demographic Characteristics

The demographic characteristics of the sample are shown in Table 3. There were 179 women (52.0%) and 165 men (48.0%) in the study. The highest number of samples were from those in their 20s, who submitted 136 questionnaires (39.5%), followed by those in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 10s, and 60s. Regarding marital status, the highest number of respondents (182) were single (52.9%), followed by those who responded with “married” and “other”. Regarding retention type, 148 international students (43.0%) constituted the highest proportion, followed by immigrants and workers. In terms of education level, the most common was university diploma, with 140 respondents (40.7%), followed by graduate school and above, college diploma, senior high school, and then those who responded “other”. Lastly, with regards to monthly income, KRW 1,000,000 and below was the most common response, offered by 142 respondents (41.3%), followed by KRW 1,001,000–2,000,000, those who responded other, KRW 2,001,000–3,000,000, more than KRW 5,001,000, KRW 3,001,000–4,000,000, and KRW 4,001,000–5,000,000.

4.2. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Harman’s One Factor Test

The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results of the whole concept of construction are shown in Table 4, and χ2 = 1823.488 (p = 0.000), df = 1283, GFI = 0.837, AGFI = 0.818, NFI = 0.882, CFI = 0.962, RMR = 0.034, and RMSEA = 0.035 were derived. As a result of analysing the factors for each concept’s measurement model, the standardised path coefficient, an indicator of the validity of the measurement variables for potential variables, showed a very significant threshold for all items. It was judged that there was no difficulty in analysing the overall structural model for the derived goodness of fit, and subsequent analysis was performed. In addition, we performed statistical analyses to assess the severity of common method bias. A Harmon one-factor test was conducted on the seven conceptually important variables in our theoretical model [55], including AI, AA, AS, AM, TS, LS, and SH. The results from this test showed that seven factors were present and the largest covariance explained by one factor was 23.78%, indicating that common method biases were not a likely contaminant of our results. Therefore, there was no common method bias.

4.3. Convergent and Discriminant Validity

Correlation analysis is also a prerequisite for presenting a general outline between variables by presenting a relationship between important factors (sub-factors) used in all research hypotheses before conducting hypothesis verification. In this study, a Pearson correlation analysis between each variable was conducted before the research hypothesis was verified, and the results of this are shown in Table 5.
The average of each factor was highest in AS (separation), followed by PWB, TS, and so on. The results of the correlation analysis between the variables revealed that the marginalisation factor has no correlation with other factors, and some of the integration factor and the assimilation factor had no correlation with some factors, while other factors were found to be correlated (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). In addition, there was a negative (−) and positive (+) correlation between each factor.
Reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s α and composition reliability (CR). Cronbach’s α was higher than 0.880, and the composition reliability was higher than 0.877. In addition, in order to examine concept validity, convergent and discriminant validity were examined. All AVE (Average Variance Extracted) values for multi-item potential factors were higher than 0.596, and CR (Composite Reliability) values were also higher than 0.772, which exceeded the standard values of 0.5 and 0.7, showing that it had a satisfactory concentration validity [56]. In addition, the discriminant validity is considered to be present when the square root of the average variance extraction exceeds the value of the variable by comparing the correlation coefficient values between the square root of the average variance extraction and the construct [57]. All factors except for AA (acculturation) and AM (marginalisation) ensured discriminative validity.

4.4. Structural Equation Model

To verify the influencing relationship between acculturation, tourist satisfaction, and quality of life, each research model in Figure 2 was verified using covariance structure analysis. To determine the goodness of fit of units required for the verification of the overall structural model, the goodness of fit was evaluated by χ2, df values, GFI, AGFI, NFI, CFI, RMR, and RMSEA.
The results of examining the goodness of fit of the structural equation model in this study are shown in Table 6.
According to the structural equation, it was found that χ2 = 655.144 (p < 0.01), df = 444, χ2/df = 1.476, GFI = 0.896, AGFI = 0.877, NFI = 0.928, CFI = 0.976, RMR = 0.039, RMSEA = 0.037.
The study model used can be considered to have met the goodness of fit with a value that satisfied the criteria when compared with the general goodness of fit indexes. Therefore, it was judged to be suitable for model acceptance. Based on the research model, the results of verifying the hypothesis presented in this study are shown in Figure 2.
The degree to which endogenous variables were set in the structural model was explained by exogenous variables or other endogenous variables that could be examined by the squared multiple correlation (SMC). The SMC corresponds to the coefficient of determination R2 in regression analysis; 43.3% of tourist satisfaction was explained by integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalisation of acculturation, and among the quality of life, 5.9% of life satisfaction was explained by acculturation (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalisation) and tourist satisfaction, while 3.7% of psychological well-being was explained by acculturation (integration, assimilation, separation, marginalisation) and tourist satisfaction. The hypothesis of the relationship between the variables was verified and found to be significant in four paths in a total of six.
According to the research results, first, the integration of acculturation was not statistically significant in tourist satisfaction, with a path coefficient value of −0.067 and a t value (CR) of −1.443. Therefore, Hypothesis 1, that the acculturation process of integration has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction, was rejected.
Second, the acculturation process of assimilation has a significant positive (+) effect on tourist satisfaction with a path coefficient of 0.619 and a t-value (C.R.) of 10.833 (p < 0.01). Thus, hypothesis 2, that the acculturation process of assimilation has a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction, was supported.
Third, the acculturation process of separation had a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction with a path coefficient of −0.113 and a t-value (C.R.) of (C.R.) −2.345 (p < 0.05). Thus, Hypothesis 3, that the acculturation process of separation has a significant effect on tourist satisfaction, was supported.
Fourth, the acculturation process of marginalization did not have a statistically significant effect on tourist satisfaction, with a path coefficient of −0.058 and a t-value (C.R.) of −1.254 (p < 0.05). Thus, Hypothesis 4, that the acculturation process of marginalisation has a significant effect on tourist satisfaction, was rejected.
Fifth, tourist satisfaction had a significant positive (+) effect on subjects’ well-being and quality of life, with a path coefficient of 0.192 and a t-value (C.R.) of 3.320 (p < 0.01). Therefore, Hypothesis 5, that tourist satisfaction has a significant positive effect on subjects’ evaluation of their quality of life, was supported.
Sixth, tourist satisfaction had a significant positive (+) effect on subjects’ psychological well-being and quality of life, with a path coefficient of 0.242 and a t-value (C.R.) of 4.171 (p < 0.01). Thus, Hypothesis 6, that tourist satisfaction has a significant positive effect on subjects’ psychological well-being pertaining to their quality of life was supported.

4.5. Hypothesis Verification Result

As shown above, the results of the verification of the overall hypothesis presented in this study are shown in Table 7.

5. Conclusions, Implications, and Limitation

5.1. Conclusions

The results of this study are discussed as follows. First, these results supported those of previous studies that found a significant relationship between acculturation and touristic satisfaction [2,4,5,43]. In more detail, in the study of Kim and Lee [2] targeting Chinese internationals, it was found that cultural separation and cultural assimilation were significant except cultural integration. Kim, Kim, and Tsai [4] analyzed the type of cultural adaptation targeting marriage immigrant women, categorized into high and low cultural adaptation groups, and examined the relationship with satisfaction. It was found that the high cultural adaptation group had a higher effect on cultural experience activities than the low cultural adaptation group. In addition, in the study on North Korean defectors (segregators) of Park, Kim, and Kim [5], it was found that marginalization, integration, and assimilation had a significant effect excluding separation. It showed that there are many previous research studies supporting the result of this study. There are four major conclusions that can be drawn from the results of this study:
(1)
Acculturation by a process of integration had no significant effect on tourist satisfaction. This conclusion does not support prior studies [4] that report that cultural integration has a significant effect on touristic satisfaction. However, the studies by Kim and Lee [2] and Park, Kim, and Kim [5] also found that cultural integration does not have a statistically significant effect on satisfaction. We surmise that, although this survey was conducted on residents over a period of three years, it is still relatively difficult to establish a sufficient cultural integration status during this amount of time, which is relatively short, depending on individual differences. In addition, it can be interpreted that stress accompanied respondents’ usage of the Korean language and attempts to become more familiar with Korean culture than their native culture and that there are not enough opportunities to participate in tourism during this process.
(2)
Acculturation by a process of assimilation has been shown to have a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction. As supported by prior studies [2,4,5], we found that cultural assimilation has a significant positive effect on touristic satisfaction, and this seems to be the result of recognising the importance of touristic activities in the process of trying to assimilate Korean culture while maintaining their native culture until reaching a state where both countries are thinking equally.
(3)
Acculturation by a process of separation has been shown to have a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction. As supported by prior studies [2,4], separation has a significant positive effect on touristic satisfaction, and it can be interpreted as a satisfactory level of tourism through close relationships with the people of their new countries in the process of maintaining the culture of their home countries, although it has not been completely absorbed or assimilated into Korean culture.
(4)
Acculturation by a process of marginalisation did not have a statistically significant effect on tourist satisfaction. As supported by prior studies [2,4], cultural separation has a significant effect on touristic satisfaction, whereby they are unable to adapt not only to their native culture but also to the Korean culture and, as a result, their daily lives are not smooth. According to these results, it is necessary to introduce a program to help Chinese immigrants adapt to Korean culture.
Next, our results supported the results of several previous studies that found a significant relationship between touristic satisfaction and quality of life [6,7,19,21,39,52]. In detail, the study of Song (2006) found that tourist satisfaction has a significant effect on life satisfaction. Cho (2008)’s study showed that tourist satisfaction had a positive effect on subjective well-being and psychological well-being. In addition, as in previous studies [7,60], tourist satisfaction was found to have a positive effect on the quality of life. That supports the result of this study. There are two major conclusions to be drawn regarding the results of these studies.
(1)
Touristic satisfaction has a significant effect on subjective well-being. This result supports prior studies that found that touristic satisfaction has a significant positive effect on subjective well-being [6,19,51]. Satisfaction through touristic activities can have a great impact on individuals’ life satisfaction, i.e., positive emotions can be engendered through tourist satisfaction, which makes people feel valued. Therefore, based on these results, a system ought to be established to facilitate touristic activities for migrants.
(2)
Touristic satisfaction has been shown to have a significant positive effect on psychological well-being. As was demonstrated in prior studies [39,49,52], tourist satisfaction has a significant positive effect on psychological well-being, meaning that it can support the pursuit of goals in life, satisfaction in social life, the degree of individuals’ self-realisation, and their surrounding environments. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs that can improve the psychological well-being of immigrants. Lastly, where this study differed from the existing research was that it was conducted on several subjects, immigrants, workers, and international students and did not select only one. In addition, it focuses on the importance of touristic activities insofar as they affect acculturation.

5.2. Implications

The theoretical implications of this study are as follows. First, we investigated the adaptation status and quality of life of Chinese immigrants in Korea for social and psychological commonalities. Second, the subjective well-being or psychological well-being of the participants regarding their quality of life was constructed and researched at the same time, which is different from previous single-dimension studies. Third, to expand on the research topics related to acculturation in the field of tourism, a cause-and-effect relationship was established and examined by adding tourist satisfaction and quality of life variables, thus contributing theoretically to the field of tourism. In addition, the result of the cultural integration factor, which was treated as a positive variable in the existing cultural adaptation study, was statistically non-significant in this study, but the result of the acculturation study showed it to have a negative effect on tourist satisfaction. This implies theoretically that different results may be derived depending on the length of stay, purpose, and environment in other countries. In addition, the result of the integration factor, which was treated as a positive variable in the existing cultural adaptation study, was not statistically significant in this study. Our results differ from those of existing adaptation-related studies and demonstrate that studies related to acculturation can generate different outcomes depending on the subjects’ length of stay, purpose, and environment.
The practical implications of this research are as follows. First, it is necessary to design various leisure activities and assimilation programs that engender harmony with the native culture. The results of this study showed that, of all the approaches to acculturation, assimilation is most likely to lead to satisfaction. Assimilation is the state in which native and Korean cultures are able to coexist equally. Therefore, it is necessary to develop tourism opportunities that allow foreign tourists to experience and enjoy not only the culture of Korea but also that of their home country at the same time.
Second, it is necessary to establish strategies for acculturation in a step-by-step manner through touristic activities. Our results indicated that the separation factor had the greatest negative effect on satisfaction, which refers to scenarios in which the individual’s mother country culture is still more comfortable and familiar for them than their new environment. Therefore, to support and promote foreigners’ acculturation, it is necessary to establish a step-by-step strategy to ensure familiarity with and assimilation into the culture of other countries while ensuring the maintenance of the native culture of individuals.
Third, marginalisation is the situation whereby individuals feel alienated in both Korean culture and their native culture, which has a negative effect on tourist satisfaction. In these instances, foreigners do not feel a sense of belonging to any culture in Korea, and it is thus necessary to introduce a program to help them establish their identity.
Finally, our results indicate that higher tourist satisfaction brigh subjects higher subjective well-being and psychological well-being, that is, a higher quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to construct a cultural and institutional system that ensures that touristic activities are sufficiently available to improve the quality of life of Chinese immigrants. In particular, as demonstrated in our results, psychological well-being has a relatively low effect on subjective well-being, so it is necessary to make efforts to increase subjective well-being along with psychological well-being. If the various implications above are applied practically, it is judged that tourism will become a means for sustainable adaptation by immigrants in other countries.

5.3. Limitation

The main limitation of this study is that it is difficult to generalise the results of our research since our findings are specific to Chinese immigrants in Korea. Therefore, in future research, it will be necessary to select and study immigrants of various nationalities, including Chinese immigrants. Second, as each research subject is different in different environments and conditions, individual differences in acculturation and quality of life may exist; thus, future studies should control for the environmental background of the individuals surveyed. Third, our research results carry a low level of explanation; therefore, a close examination of the research model, measurement scale, and research subject will be necessary in future research. The results of our study showed a low level of explanation; this is because it took the Chinese as the study subject, which has the same Oriental culture. Therefore, future research ought to investigate subjects from Western cultural backgrounds rather than those of similar Oriental cultural backgrounds. Lastly, it is possible that the average length of residence of our study subjects was short, meaning that a sufficient period had not elapsed for these respondents to experience various acculturation conditions. Therefore, in future studies, it will be necessary to investigate in depth how factors related to acculturation differ depending on the length of subjects’ residence in Korea. In addition, although the survey sampling in this study followed objective and comprehensive standards, the sample size was rather limited, which may have been the cause of the sampling error. Further studies could increase the sample size.

Author Contributions

Data curation, T.C. (Taeyoung Cho); formal analysis, T.C. (Taesoo Cho); methodology and project administration, H.Z.; software, T.C. (Taesoo Cho); writing—original draft T.C. (Taeyoung Cho); writing—review and editing, H.Z. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by the Science and Technology Project of Beautiful China Ecological Civilization Construction (No. XDA23100400).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. Proposed conceptual model regarding the influence of acculturation and tourist satisfaction, quality of life.
Figure 1. Proposed conceptual model regarding the influence of acculturation and tourist satisfaction, quality of life.
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Figure 2. Results of structural analysis: standardization path coefficient.
Figure 2. Results of structural analysis: standardization path coefficient.
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Table
Table 1. The types of acculturation.
Table 1. The types of acculturation.
AcculturationThe Maintaining of One’s Own
Culture Identity and Character
ActivePassive
The acceptance of new culture (The relationship with mainstream culture)ActiveIntegrationAssimilation
PassiveSeparationMarginalization
Note: Berry (1997), Acculturation types.
Table
Table 2. Questionnaire design.
Table 2. Questionnaire design.
Variables (Sub Variables)ReferencesFactors
Acculturation (Integration)[2,4,12]AI1. I feel more comfortable living in Korea.
AI2. I feel more comfortable speaking Korean.
AI3. I feel more comfortable being alone with Koreans.
AI4. I am more suited to Korean society.
AI5. I prefer Korean culture.
Acculturation (Assimilation)[2,4,12]AA1. I feel comfortable living in Korea as well as in China.
AA2. I can speak Korean and Chinese.
AA3. I feel more comfortable being alone with Koreans and Chinese.
AA4. I am well suited to Korean society and Chinese society.
AA5. I like Chinese culture as well as Korean culture.
Acculturation (Separation)[2,4,12]AS1. I feel more comfortable being alone with Chinese people than Korean people.
AS2. Most of my friends are Chinese.
AS3. I go to Chinese get-togethers frequently.
AS4. I adapt to Chinese culture more easily than Korean culture.
AS5. I am more comfortable and at ease when speaking Chinese.
Acculturation
(Marginalization)		[2,4,12]AM1. It’s hard to get along with either Korean or Chinese people.
AM2. I feel that it is difficult to make Chinese and Korean people understand me.
AM3. Sometimes, I feel it is hard to make friends.
AM4. Sometimes, I feel it is difficult to communicate with other people.
AM5. It is hard for others to accept me.
Tourist Satisfaction[2,33]TS1. The traditional culture in here is very rich.
TS2. The memories created when travelling here made me happy.
TS3. Travelling here is an advisable choice.
TS4. Travelling here is useful for me.
TS5. Travelling here is valuable.
Subjective Well-Being
(Environmental Satisfaction)		[2,33]ES1. I feel happy after returning from Gyeongju.
ES2. I am satisfied with my life after returning from Gyeongju.
ES3. I am satisfied with myself after returning from Gyeongju.
ES4. I am satisfied with my relationship with my family after returning from Gyeongju.
ES5. I am satisfied with my recent leisure activities after returning from Gyeongju.
Subjective Well-Being
(Social Satisfaction)		[44,60]SS1. I developed a better relationship with the people around me after returning from Gyeongju
SS2. I tried to better understand the people around me or my colleagues in the workplace after returning from Gyeongju.
SS3. I was satisfied with my relationship with my friends after returning from Gyeongju.
SS4. I am satisfied with what I am doing now after returning from Gyeongju.
SS5. I was satisfied with my social life after I returned from Gyeongju.
Subjective Well-Being
(Personal Satisfaction)		[44,60]PS1. I was satisfied with where I lived after returning from Gyeongju.
PS2. I was satisfied with the space that only I could use in my home after returning from Gyeongju.
PS3. I was satisfied with the level of privacy of the place where I lived after returning from Gyeongju.
PS4. I was satisfied with my health after returning from Gyeongju.
PS5. I was satisfied with my current monthly income after returning from Gyeongju.
Psychological Well-Being (Self-realization)[44,61]SR1.Travel activities make me feel inner joy.
SR2. Touristic activities make me feel inner peace.
SR3. Touristic activities make me feel afloat.
SR4. Touristic activities give me a sense of achievement.
Psychological Well-Being (Sense of Pleasure)[44,61]SP1. Touristic activities make me want to smile.
SP2. Touristic activities make me feel energized.
Psychological Well-Being (Sense of Life)[44,61]SL1. Touristic activities make me want to sing/dance.
SL2. Touristic activities make me feel I am going to play.
SL3. Touristic activities keep me thinking about how happy I am.
Psychological Well-Being (Self of Hypnosis)[44,61]SH1. Touristic activities make me feel like I want to make others happy.
SH2. Touristic activities make life seem rich.
SH3. Touristic activities make me feel lucky to be alive.
SH4. Touristic activities make me feel worth living.
Table
Table 3. Characteristics of the sample population (n = 344).
Table 3. Characteristics of the sample population (n = 344).
Variables Data CategoryNumber of Samples/Percentage (%)
GenderMale165 (48.0)
Female179 (52.0)
Age10–19 years old15 (4.4)
20–29 years old136 (39.5)
30–39 years old73 (21.2)
40–49 years old68 (19.8)
50–59 years old39 (11.3)
60 years old and above13 (3.8)
Marital statusMarried157 (45.6)
Single182 (52.9)
Other5 (1.5)
Retention typeImmigrants101 (29.4)
Worker95 (27.6)
International student148 (43.0)
Educational attainmentSenior high school54 (15.7)
College diploma56 (16.3)
University diploma140 (40.7)
Graduate school and above67 (19.5)
Other27 (7.8)
Monthly disposable income
(KRW)		≤1,000,000142 (41.3)
1,000,000–2,000,00075 (21.8)
2,001,000–3,000,00035 (10.2)
3,001,000–4,000,00011 (3.2)
4,001,000–5,000,0005 (1.5)
≥5,001,00012 (3.5)
Other64 (18.6)
Table
Table 4. Result of confirmatory factor analysis.
Table 4. Result of confirmatory factor analysis.
Factor and Measured IndexEstimateStandardized EstimateStandard ErrorT Statistics
Acculturation
(Integration)		→AI11.0000.806
→AI21.0040.8370.05617.844 ***
→AI31.1310.8830.05919.242 ***
→AI41.0980.8950.05619.597 ***
→AI50.9920.7550.06415.515 ***
Acculturation
(Assimilation)		→AA11.0000.792
→AA21.0760.7830.06715.980 ***
→AA31.1170.8770.06018.580 ***
→AA41.1520.8840.06118.780 ***
→AA51.2010.8550.06618.168 ***
Acculturation
(Separation)		→AS11.0000.817
→AS20.9080.7170.06513.960 ***
→AS30.8490.6400.07012.221 ***
→AS41.0430.8710.06017.270 ***
→AS50.7940.7280.05614.239 ***
Acculturation
(Marginalization)		→AM11.0000.901
→AM21.1170.9440.04525.082 ***
→AM30.8280.6290.06213.359 ***
→AM40.8460.6080.06612.736 ***
→AM50.9880.7710.05318.736 ***
Tourist
Satisfaction		→TS51.0000.839
→TS41.0700.9150.04722.773 ***
→TS31.0470.8850.04921.437 ***
→TS21.0670.8930.04921.819 ***
→TS11.0490.9130.04622.690 ***
Subjective Well-BeingLife →ES1–ES5 (a)1.0000.926
→SS1–SS50.9900.9360.06914.411 ***
→PS1–PS50.8690.8140.06912.672 ***
Psychological Well-Being→SR1–SR4 (a)1.0000.868
→SP1–SP21.0800.8590.07913.706 ***
→SL1–SL31.1630.9460.09711.970 ***
→SH1–SH41.2130.9570.09113.266 ***
Note: All the abbreviations of variables are shown in Table 2. (a): Second order confirmatory factor analysis base variable. Second confirmatory factor analysis base variable. *** p < 0.01.
Table
Table 5. Correlation matrix for the overall measurement model.
Table 5. Correlation matrix for the overall measurement model.
AIAAASAMTSSWBPWB
AI1
AA0.0911
AS−0.106 **−0.165 ***1
AM−0.092−0.0660.0781
TS0.0160.606 ***−0.207 ***−0.127 **1
SWB0.126 **0.148 ***−0.127 **−0.0360.230 ***1
PWB0.128 **0.110 **−0.121 **−0.0570.169 ***0.752 ***1
M3.103.454.012.413.513.363.53
SD0.7040.8530.7080.8540.9100.6430.609
Cronbach’s α0.9200.9210.8800.9110.9490.9450.944
C.R.0.9460.9260.8990.8770.9500.9660.980
AVE0.7800.7140.6440.5960.7910.9050.942
√AVE0.8830.8450.8020.7720.8890.9510.971
Note: M = mean; SD = standard deviation, C.R. = composition reliability, AVE = average explained variance. The abbreviations are shown in Table 1. ** p < 0.05, *** p < 0.01.
Table
Table 6. The goodness of fit for the structural equation model.
Table 6. The goodness of fit for the structural equation model.
Indexχ2dfNormed χ2GFIAGFINFICFIRMRRMSEA
Value655.1444441.4760.8960.8770.9280.9760.0390.037
Suggested 1–3≥0.90≥0.90≥0.90≥0.90<0.05<0.05
Table
Table 7. Verification result of all hypotheses proposed in this study.
Table 7. Verification result of all hypotheses proposed in this study.
HypothesisSupport/Not
H1Integration of acculturation has a significant effect on tourist Satisfaction.Not Supported
H2Assimilation of acculturation has a significant effect on tourist Satisfaction.Supported
H3Separation of acculturation has a significant effect on tourist Satisfaction.Supported
H4Marginalization of acculturation has a significant effect on tourist Satisfaction.Not Supported
H5Tourism satisfaction has a significant effect on the subjective well-being of quality of life.Supported
H6Tourism satisfaction has a significant effect on the psychological well being of the quality of life.Supported
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Cho, T.; Cho, T.; Zhang, H. The Effect of the Acculturation of Chinese Immigrants on Tourist Satisfaction and Quality of Life. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1770. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041770

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Cho T, Cho T, Zhang H. The Effect of the Acculturation of Chinese Immigrants on Tourist Satisfaction and Quality of Life. Sustainability. 2021; 13(4):1770. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041770

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Cho, Taeyoung, Taesoo Cho, and Hao Zhang. 2021. "The Effect of the Acculturation of Chinese Immigrants on Tourist Satisfaction and Quality of Life" Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1770. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041770

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