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

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 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.

Impact of the Perceived Authenticity of Heritage Sites on Subjective Well-Being: A Study of the Mediating Role of Place Attachment and Satisfaction

“…Later, Bryce et al [41] expanded that model using the consumption of Japanese cultural heritage as a context, incorporating more preconceived notions and adding the concept of visitors' engagement to the relationship between authenticity and loyalty in their revised model. Zhang et al [14] proposed a tourist-based authenticity model for traditional sports events based on the categorization of "cold" and "hot" authenticities. In addition, scholars have found that feelings of dissonance and incongruity were generated in tourists when they came across inauthentic artifacts [21].…”

“…As heritage tourism is a form of travel with rich connotations, the issue of its authenticity has naturally attracted extensive attention from scholars who have undertaken academic research on TA. Using heritage sporting events (a form of intangible cultural heritage) as examples, Zhang et al [14] examined the relationship between authenticity, satisfaction, and loyalty. Jamal and Hill [15] pointed out that it was necessary to identify the tangible or intangible properties of objects, places, and spaces when comprehending the indicator framework for determining the authenticity of cultural heritage sites, while, at the same time, maintaining an awareness that these attributes are embedded in sociopolitical, interactive, and interconnected relationships.…”

“…In addition, tourists' needs are better met and their experiences are enhanced. Existing tourism research has mostly emphasized the importance and significance of perceived authenticity in tourism development, which is reflected through the relationship between authenticity and satisfaction, and between authenticity and loyalty [14,23]. However, the relationship between authenticity and tourists' subjective well-being (SWB) has not received widespread scholarly attention.…”

Using Content Analysis to Probe the Cognitive Image of Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism: An Exploration of Chinese Social Media

“…Among various types of ICH, traditional music, dance, and folklore are the most popular resources and have emerged as hotspots in ICH tourism research [7][8][9]. Related studies have addressed topics such as stakeholders, destinations, tourism products, heritage value, attractiveness, authenticity, tourist loyalty, and motivation [10][11][12][13].…”

The Construction of Placeness in Traditional Handicraft Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Suzhou Embroidery

“…Due to the fuzziness of the concept itself, such significance has not been recognized in the implementation of the Convention. People tend to pay attention to the sustainability of only the heritage itself [48,49], ignoring the UN agenda of sustainable development. Most of the related studies are conducted as analyses of the relationship between ICH and some aspects of sustainable development in some cases.…”