Development of destination personality scale and factors influencing archaeological tourists' behavioural intentions in Malaysia
The development of archaeological tourism brings significant economics impact to a country’s growth domestic product and local community. This economic growth is beneficial to a country as a source of income. Nevertheless, the arrival of mass tourists to these sites might undoubtedly lead to nega...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114049/1/114049.pdf |
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| Summary: | The development of archaeological tourism brings significant economics impact to a
country’s growth domestic product and local community. This economic growth is
beneficial to a country as a source of income. Nevertheless, the arrival of mass tourists
to these sites might undoubtedly lead to negative consequences to some extent. The
ability to strike a balance between tourism development and the efforts to preserve these
archaeological sites are important for the long-term development of these sites. This task,
however, is extremely difficult and should not be the sole responsibility of the site
management and government. Tourists should also play an active role in the preservation
effort. Therefore, this study is conducted to investigate behavioural intentions among
archaeological tourists at the selected archaeological sites in Malaysia. The current
study, guided by Personality Traits Theory, Stimulus Response Theory, and Stimulus
Organism Responses (S-O-R) model, aims to develop, and validate the archaeological
destination personality scale and to investigate the role of destination personality,
interpretation, place attachment, authenticity, destination attractiveness, destination
reputation as the stimulus and emotions as organism while tourists’ behavioural
intentions as response at archaeological destination context. This study employs three
studies by recruiting tourists (N= 1600) who have visited the archaeological sites in
Malaysia, namely Bujang Valley (BV), Lenggong Valley World Heritage Site
(LVWHS), and Niah National Park (NNP). Study 1 aims to generate and validate the
destination personality items for archaeological sites. A total of 450 tourists were
recruited at the three archaeological sites. Study 2 aims to purify the items and assess the
stability of the scale’s factor structure. This study was able to recruit 750 respondents,
and the data was used to investigate the archaeological destination personality
dimensions and factor structure stability. Study 3 is conducted at archaeological sites to
assess the predictive validation of archaeological destination personality among 400
respondents. The archaeological destination personality was found to be a multidimensional
construct consisting of Masculine, Leadership-oriented, Legendary,
Discoverable, and Wise. Furthermore, it was found that destination personality,
interpretation, place attachment, authenticity, and destination attractiveness were
positively influencing emotions. In addition, interpretation, authenticity, destination
attractiveness and emotions were found to be significantly affecting intentions to
recommend, while interpretation, place attachment, authenticity, and emotions were
found to be significantly influencing the tourists’ intention to revisit, and lastly, intention
to preserve was influenced by interpretation, place attachment, and emotions. Finally,
emotions mediate the relationship between destination personality, interpretation, place
attachment, authenticity, destination attractiveness, and behavioural intentions (i.e.,
intention to recommend, intention to revisit, and intention to preserve). The findings
contribute to the existing literature by broadening the destination personality scale of
archaeological destinations. Furthermore, by extending the stimulus organism response
model, the current findings provide new insight to the existing literature. In practice, the
findings of this study provide marketing strategies to archaeological site marketers for
promotion and protection purposes. Destination marketers should use archaeological
destination personality to build destination identity to attract tourists. Furthermore,
interpretation and authenticity can be used to boost archaeological site promotion and
preservation. |
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