Development of a structural model for quality cultural heritage tourism

The aim of this research is to develop and test a theoretical model of quality cultural heritage tourism. It offers an integrated approach to understanding cultural heritage development and management of tourist destinations, and attempts to extend the theoretical and empirical evidence regarding causal relationships including quality of experience, perceived quality, satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The previous literature has already presented the relationship among perceived quality, quality of experience, satisfaction and behavioural intentions in cultural heritage tourism. However, there is a relative lack of academic interest, particularly in Macao. Thus, this research tries to investigate the quality and related constructs in cultural heritage tourism. It seeks to understand the major constructs considered by local stakeholders and visitors in evaluating the quality in cultural heritage tourism, the importance of the availability of quality in the overall experience, visitors‘ behaviour toward quality cultural heritage tourism and also the constructs related to quality. The methodological approach of this research includes qualitative and quantitative methods in the field research in Macao, China. Semi-structured interviews with Macao stakeholders and a questionnaire survey with Macao visitors were used for data collection. A structural model of the relationships between perceived quality, quality of experience, satisfaction and behavioural intentions was tested SEM used in quantitative study tested the validity, reliability and potential of the quality models developed from literature reviews and grounded theory. The findings provide further evidence for the importance of perceived quality and quality of experience as the major constructs in the development of cultural heritage tourism and as a strategic objective which emphasises it as the core construct in cultural heritage tourism. The study also examines whether there is a relationship between quality of experience, perceived quality, satisfaction and behavioural intentions in cultural heritage tourism. The findings show that perceived quality leads to quality of experience and satisfaction. In addition, it suggests that perceived quality and satisfaction are the important determinants of behavioural intentions. An unexpected finding concerned the antecedents of perceived quality and the empirical results from the structural modelling presented in the study shows that authenticity, interpretations and behavioural intentions in cultural heritage tourism can affect the perceived quality which affects the quality of experience and their satisfaction indirectly. These results have generated a new concept in the literature. From the managerial standpoint, the findings offer suggestions for the future direction of cultural heritage tourism. It can enable researchers into cultural heritage tourism to gain a better understanding between these constructs and has shown an emerging consensus in their interrelationships. The tourism providers can improve quality of experience and perceived quality in cultural heritage tourism in order to develop effective strategies. Since cultural heritage tourism has been shown to be increasing and substantial, it should be beneficial for the destinations to examine the quality attributes and constructs that influence travelling and returning to cultural heritage destinations. By understanding the relationships between quality constructs, the tourism providers would better know how to develop cultural heritage tourism and improve the strategies to maximise its benefits. These findings are particularly useful to tourism providers because they provide directions for the implementation of sustainable cultural heritage tourism.