Unpacking Generation Z tourists’ motivation for intangible cultural heritage tourism

ABSTRACT

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism is a vital means of promoting cultural diversity and sustainable development. Improving the younger generation’s engagement in ICH tourism can contribute to the inheritance and preservation of ICH. Drawing on self-determination theory, this study examines Generation Z tourists’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for participating in ICH tourism. Findings reveal that two intrinsic motives (authenticity and novelty seeking) and three extrinsic motives (cultural identification, social sustainability, and social media engagement) positively influence Generation Z travellers’ intention to take ICH tourism. Historical nostalgia, as an intrinsic motivation, does not affect their intention toward ICH tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Intangible cultural heritage tourism
• Generation Z
• self-determination theory
• motivation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yangyang Jiang

Yangyang Jiang, PhD, is an Associate Professor in marketing at Nottingham University Business School China, University of Nottingham Ningbo China and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research focuses on services marketing, digital transformation, customer experience and sustainable development. She has published over 45 peer-reviewed research papers in several leading journals, including Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Technology Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Rural Studies and others. Apart from working for multiple Fortune Global 500 companies in marketing and management-related functions before joining academia, Dr. Jiang worked for the Olympic Partner's Global Hospitality Program at four Olympic Games in China, Canada, the UK and Brazil.

Cenhua Lyu

Cenhua Lyu, PhD, is a Lecturer in tourism management at Ningbo University-University of Angers Joint Institute, Ningbo University. Her research work has appeared in the Journal of Travel Research, the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Tourism Recreation Research, Tourism Analysis and Anatolia. Her research interests focus on tourist behaviour, tourism experience and virtual tourism.

Jiajing Li

Jiajing Li is a Postgraduate Research Student at Nottingham University Business School ∼, University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. His research interests include heritage tourism and tourist behaviour.