The relationship between tourists’ perceptions of customized authenticity and loyalty to guesthouses in heritage destinations: an empirical study of the world heritage of Lijiang Old Town, China

ABSTRACT

Based on responses from 397 tourists staying in the guesthouses in Old Town of Lijiang, structural equation modelling is conducted to examine the relationship between tourists’ perception of three dimensions of customized authenticity and their effect on tourist loyalty toward guesthouses in heritage destinations. It is found that the three dimensions of customized authenticity affect tourist loyalty of guesthouse in heritage destination through the path as follows: tourists’ perception of object-related authenticity → perceptions of existential authenticity → sense of being at home → guesthouse loyalty. Measurement scales for the three dimensions of tourist perceived customized authenticity in guesthouses are developed in this study as well. As an extension of customized authenticity, this study extends research of authenticity in context of guesthouses of heritage destinations.

KEYWORDS:

• Tourist perception of guesthouses
• heritage destination
• object-related authenticity
• existential authenticity
• sense of being at home
• loyalty toward guesthouses

Acknowledgment

Acknowledges goes to the suggestions from Dr Shiqin Zhang from School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Dr Xiaoli Yi from Shenzhen Tourism College of Jinan University.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 41501158, 41701154]; National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences [grant numbers15ZDB118, 19BJY212].