| General note |
This study mainly aims to investigate the influence of authenticity, hospitality, and experience quality on behavioral intention in cultural heritage tourism. The mediating effect of experience quality on the relationships among authenticity (cultural and heritage), hospitality (commercial and local), and behavioral intention is also determined. This study included five hundred foreign tourists who visited Malacca City during the period of data collection primarily for cultural heritage tourism. A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed for data analysis using AMOS and SPSS packages to test the hypotheses and the research model with the sample data. A structural equation modeling results show that the measurement model consists of six distinct construct, namely, heritage authenticity, cultural authenticity, commercial hospitality, local hospitality, experience quality, and behavioral intention. This study provided empirical evidence on a full mediating effect of experience quality on the relationships among authenticity (cultural and heritage), hospitality (commercial and local), and behavioral intention. The results imply that the significance of authenticity and hospitality with respect to behavioral intentions is recognized via the mediating effects of experience quality. In addition, a strong positive relationship between experience quality and behavioral intention in the context of cultural heritage tourism was also found. Future research should consider population generalization and the mediating effect of satisfaction on the relationship between experience quality and behavioral intention in the context of cultural heritage tourism. This study would help tourism practitioners gain a thorough understanding of cultural heritage tourism in Malaysia for formulating better strategies to promote the industry. |