Understanding Chinese cultural tourists: typology and profile

ABSTRACT

This study aims to offer a clear and up-to-date typology and profile of Chinese cultural tourists in mainland China following the framework based on cultural centrality and depth of cultural experience. Using a sample of mainland Chinese tourists (n = 656) at three cultural attractions in Guangzhou, China, a typology of Chinese cultural tourists (namely casual, sightseeing, purposeful, serendipitous, and incidental) was developed and trip characteristics (e.g. prior knowledge, time spent to get to know the site before visit, change in knowledge, and on-site activities) and sociodemographics of each segment were also examined. In addition, slight differences are found between local day-trippers and tourists from outside Guangzhou in terms of their types and characteristics (prior knowledge, change in knowledge, and sociodemographics). Destination marketing and management implications are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese cultural tourists
• cultural tourist typology
• cultural centrality
• depth of cultural experience
• segmentation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Professor Bob McKercher for his constructive comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper presented at the 1st Australia and China Tourism Forum, Adelaide, South Australia, December 2016, and the student investigators for their assistance with data collection in this paper. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 41500154]; the Tourism Youth Expert Training Program of the China National Tourism Administration [grant number TYETP201542].