Antecedents of domestic visitor’s memorable experiences and gender difference: a heritage tourism context

Seyfi, Siamak, Rasoolimanesh, S Mostafa, Sthapit, Erose ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1650-3900 and Hall, C Michael (2024) Antecedents of domestic visitor’s memorable experiences and gender difference: a heritage tourism context. Tourism Recreation Research. pp. 1-16. ISSN 0250-8281

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Abstract

This study explores the interplay between visitor engagement, authenticity, and destination image in shaping memorable tourism experiences (MTE) within the realm of domestic heritage tourism, as well as the potential moderating role of gender in these relationships. Data were collected in the historic city of Kashan, Iran through a self-administered questionnaire and a combination of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The results strongly support the influence of visitor engagement, authenticity, and destination image on various dimensions of MTE. Additionally, noteworthy gender differences emerged, revealing that authenticity has a more pronounced impact on meaningfulness, knowledge, and involvement for female tourists. Moreover, distinct gender disparities were observed in the effects of destination image on these three dimensions. These findings make a valuable contribution to the tourism and MTE literature by emphasizing the significance of gender-specific perceptions and attitudes within the context of heritage tourism.