| As one of the important attributes of heritage tourism,authenticity has always been a research hotspot of scholars at home and abroad.In addition,destination image and loyalty,as the core elements or important constructs of heritage tourism research,have also been paid close attention by scholars.Although many studies have explored the influencing factors of destination image,less attention has been paid from the perspective of perceived authenticity,and few studies have explored the intrinsic relationship between perceived authenticity and image.Therefore,the research question posed by this study is: whether and how tourists’ perceived authenticity affects the image of the destination,and subsequently,what effect does it have on the loyalty of the destination.This research divides authenticity into architectural heritage authenticity and folk culture authenticity.Based on embodied cognition theory and SOR theory,a theoretical model of perceived authenticity,destination image,and loyalty of tourists in heritage sites is built.Using quantitative analysis methods,Kaiping Watchtowers are chosen as case sites to carry out empirical research.The results show that:(1)Perceived authenticity positively affects the destination image:the authenticity of architectural heritage has a significant positive impact on cognitive image and emotional image,but has a weak and insignificant impact on emotional image;The destination image has a significant positive impact;compared with the authenticity of the architectural heritage,the authenticity of the folk culture has a greater impact on the three destination images;(2)The destination image positively affects the loyalty of tourists: emotional image,emotional image It has a significant positive impact on loyalty,and cognitive image has a weak and insignificant impact on tourist loyalty;(3)Perceived authenticity positively positively affects tourist loyalty: the authenticity of folk culture and architectural heritage both have a positive and significant impact on tourist loyalty;(4)The emotional image and the emotional image have mediating roles in the influence of the authenticity of the folk culture on the loyalty.The research theoretically verifies the hypothesis model of authenticitydestination image-loyalty,and its conclusions provide some practical guidance for heritage site brand management and theoretical basis for heritage site managers to formulate development strategies. |
