A cross-cultural validation of the perceived destination restorative qualities scale: the Chinese perspective

ABSTRACT

Leisure travel entails a necessary tourist–environment exchange, understanding of which becomes critical when considering the role of tourism in providing rest and relaxation. The aim of this study was to understand the restorative functions of tourism destinations in the Chinese context. We attempted to confirm the cross-cultural stability of the measurement scale of perceived destination restorative qualities (PDRQ) and the relation to its nomological network including destination setting, overall sense of recovery, and satisfaction. The construct dimensionality was confirmed; however, contrary to the Western literature, the effects of destination restorativeness on recovery and satisfaction were more pronounced in urban rather than nature-based vacations for Chinese travelers.

KEYWORDS:

• Vacation effect
• wellness tourism
• China
• attention restoration theory
• cross-cultural scale validation
• PDRQ

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.