From ruins to heritage tourism sites: Exploring tourists' perceptions, evaluations and behavioral intentions toward natural disaster sites

摘要

PurposeThis study aims to reveal the empirical linkage between tourists' perspectives and attitudes towards disaster ruins and dark tourism by attesting influence relationships between disaster memorials perception, dark tourism evaluation, as well as heritage protection and tourism development intention. Design/methodology/approachPartial least squares structural equation modeling analysis was used on a sample of 413 valid visitor questionnaires collected at the 5 center dot 12 Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial Museum, Sichuan Province, China. FindingsDisaster memorials perception positively influences positive evaluation of dark tourism, heritage protection intention and tourism development intention, while negatively influencing negative evaluation of dark tourism. Furthermore, positive evaluation of dark tourism and heritage protection intention positively affect tourism development intention. In addition, prior knowledge is a significant moderator in the research model. Originality/valueThis study applied the stimulus-organism-response framework and social exchange theory to predict tourists' behavioral intention toward disaster memorials, providing valuable insights to dark tourism research. It illuminates tourists' psychological and behavioral characteristics at natural disaster sites and deepens research on the human-nature relationship from the disaster perspective.

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