Cultural heritage authenticity: Effects on place attachment and revisit intention through the mediating role of tourist experience

Abstract

Authenticity is a central aspect and prominent feature of heritage tourism. Both practitioners and researchers are interested in the authenticity of tourism experiences when it comes to heritage tourism planning, marketing and management. The paper aims to explore the intervening role of tourist experience in the link between cultural heritage authenticity and place attachment and revisit intention, in the context of Egyptian cultural heritage sites. An integrative model was developed to explore the importance of cultural heritage authenticity and its influence on place attachment and revisit intention, through the mediating role of tourist experience. Using Smart PLS 4, data collected from 389 international tourists who visited Egypt were analysed. The findings of the study highlighted that tourist experience fully mediates the relationship between cultural heritage authenticity and both place attachment and revisit intention. The results also identified the positive direct effect of cultural heritage authenticity on tourist experience. The positive direct effects of tourist experience on place attachment and revisit intention were also significant. Findings hold important implications for both the research community and destination management and marketing organizations and heritage sites. Practical implications and potential future research are also discussed.