Examining the ritualized experiences of intangible cultural heritage tourism

Abstract

This study systematically conceptualizes and evaluates the dimensionality of ritualized experiences in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism, a nascent and galvanizing product genre that has received scant research attention. It also investigates the interrelationships among ritualized ICH tourism experiences and other key subtle constructs of subjective vitality, self-congruity, and engagement, which are integral to the affective outcomes of cultural tourists yet under-researched in heritage settings. Structural equation modeling (SEM) of data from 357 attendees of a local fair in the heritage-rich Chinese destination of Suzhou confirmed the four-factor dimensionality of ritualized ICH tourism experiences: uniqueness, commitment, ceremoniality, and nonfunctionality. The mediating role played by self-congruity in the positive relationship between ritualized experiences and attendant engagement is also verified. This study adds to the extant research by enriching knowledge on rituality in heritage destination contexts and offering practical references for leveraging the economic and sociocultural values of the destination at large.