Red tourism in China: emotional experiences, national identity and behavioural intentions

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the empirical linkages among emotional experiences, national identity and behavioural intentions for red tourism in China. Design/methodology/approach Partial least squares structural equation modelling was applied to data from two rounds of surveys of 1,095 on-site visitors to Zunyi and Yan’an, two well-known red tourism cities in China. Findings Emotional experiences significantly affect national identity, with positive emotions significantly affecting national identity. Positive emotions also significantly influenced behavioural intentions, national identity positively influenced behavioural intentions and national pride mediated the relationship of “positive emotion → behavioural intentions”. In addition, previous experience played a moderating role in the relationship of “positive emotion → national pride”. Originality/value This research produced new insights on red tourism emotional experiences by clarifying its types, connotations and influences. It contributes to a better understanding of national identity antecedents and outcomes in red tourism. Findings revealed the significant role of red tourism in cultivating national identity and provide implications for academic research and practical development of red tourism.

The Impact of Emotional Experience on Tourists’ Cultural Identity and Behavior in the Cultural Heritage Tourism Context: An Empirical Study on Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes

“…Thirdly, positive emotions are part of the mediator variable of the cognitive evaluation of the environment and cultural identity. In the cultural heritage tourism context, positive emotions induced by tourists' cognitive evaluations of the natural and humanistic environment can instantly expand the scope of tourists' attention, perceptions, and actions [33,34,59]. Positive emotions encourage tourists to focus on a wider range of issues, reduce self-attention, increase their awareness of environmentally responsible behavior and build cultural identity [5,6].…”

“…This further corroborates the study findings that cultural identity promotes cultural heritage conservation behavior. In addition, the cognitive evaluation of the entity caves has a stronger effect on cultural identity than the tourists' cognitive evaluation of cultural experience activity, maybe because tangible environmental factors such as entity caves have a stronger stimulating effect than intangible cultural activities such as cultural activities [59].…”

“…The cognitive evaluation of the humanistic environment positively influences tourists' cultural identity. Some scholars have found through empirical research that in the red cultural heritage tourism context, there is a mediating effect of awe in positive emotions between tourists' awe-inducing emotions and national identity [59]. Similarly, in the cultural heritage tourism context, there may be a mediating effect of positive emotions between the cognitive evaluation of the natural environment and cultural identity and between the cognitive evaluation of the humanistic environment and cultural identity.…”

Influential Factors Affecting Tea Tourists’ Behavior Intention in Cultural Ecosystem Services: An Affordance Perspective

“…Numerous empirical studies have substantiated that cultural identity is either cultivated through tourism or exerts an influence on specific behavior intentions. For instance, Wang et al [73] gathered survey data from 1095 visitors to Zunyi and Yan'an and utilized the PLS-SEM method to establish that positive and significant correlations exist between emotional experiences, national identity, and behavior intentions. Within the framework of tea tourism, emotional value, and cultural identity are particularly relevant, as this study employs affordance theory to demonstrate that affordance perception plays a dual role in influencing behavior intentions, encompassing both emotional and cultural dimensions.…”