The Impacts of Ecotourists’ Perceived Authenticity and Perceived Values on Their Behaviors: Evidence from Huangshan World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site

Abstract

Drawn to the unique natural and geographical advantages of ecotourism scenic areas, tourists can roam the natural environment and, at the same time, promote the sustainable development of the scenic area’s ecology. As a result, ecotourism has gradually become a popular type of tourism. Tourists’ perceived authenticity, perceived values, revisit intentions, and environmentally responsible behaviors, which are important variables in understanding their cognition and behaviors, have received extensive attention from scholars. However, few studies have combined tourists’ perceived authenticity, perceived values, revisit intentions, and environmentally responsible behaviors in the context of ecotourism. Taking Huangshan World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site in Anhui, China, as a case study, this study explored the relationship between the perceived authenticity and perceived values of ecotourists, and the respective relationships of perceived authenticity and perceived values with revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behaviors. A survey research method was employed, and the structural equation modeling technique was used to determine the relationships among variables. The results indicated that the perceived authenticity of ecotourists had a significant positive impact on their perceived values. Tourists’ perceived authenticity and perceived values significantly and positively affected their revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behaviors, respectively, while their perceived values played a mediating role in the impact of perceived authenticity on revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behaviors. Theoretically, this study introduces the concept of perceived authenticity into ecotourism, expands the research scope of perceived values, and fills the gaps in the research regarding the impact of perceived authenticity on environmentally responsible behaviors. Practically, it will assist tourism managers in developing a strategic plan for protecting the unique natural resources and cultural customs of scenic spots, producing a valuable interactive experience, and enhancing the collaborative decision-making process, which will lead to the sustainable development of ecotourism destinations.

Impacts of Environmental Knowledge, Motives, and Behavior on Ecotourism

“…Moreover, research studies combining ecotourism, PEB, and PV of visitors are rare. Exceptionally, few studies were able to reveal that PEB is influenced by the PV related to ecotourism [12,[46][47][48]. However, the influence of PEB on PV remains unexplored, especially when combined with ecotourism while focusing on domestic PEB, which the current study sought to investigate.…”

“…Chiu et al [47] also identified the positive influence of PV on environmentally responsible behavior in ecotourism, using SEM. Furthermore, Yang et al [48] revealed that PV positively influences post-tour PEB and revisit intentions of ecotourists visiting the Huangshan World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site. Furthermore, Murphy et al [49] employed PLS-SEM to investigate positive experiences with elements of the destination's macro-environments, and revealed that service infrastructure positively affected perceptions of trip value.…”

A Study on the Effect of Authenticity on Heritage Tourists’ Mindful Tourism Experience: The Case of the Forbidden City

“…Authenticity concerning tourist objects and destinations, along with tourist experiences, has been previously studied [24,25]. In heritage tourism, authenticity could be considered the most essential feature of a destination [4].…”

“…Thus, the concept of constructed authenticity, also known as "perceived authenticity", was adopted for this study. While researchers have examined authenticity in different tourism settings, such as ecotourism [25], heritage tourism [28,29], and rural tourism [30], research on how authenticity affects heritage tourists' experiences is minimal.…”

Insights for Pro-Sustainable Tourist Behavior: The Role of Sustainable Destination Information and Pro-Sustainable Tourist Habits

“…Second, it provides socio-economic benefits for communities living in tourist destinations [10]. Third, it conserves cultural heritage and creates authentic tourism experiences [20]. Thus, more research is needed to explore how PEBs are promoted among tourists and how to measure their effectiveness in promoting sustainable tourism practices [4,13].…”