Cultural Souvenirs and Purchase Intentions among Chinese Tourists: The Roles of Symbolic Design, Perceived Authenticity, and Tourist Profiles
Loading...
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Abstract
Description
Acquiring cultural souvenirs is essential to China’s tourism business. It provides tourists with enriched cultural experiences and promotes growth in associated cultural industries. This research explores the determinants affecting Chinese tourists’ purchasing choices for cultural souvenirs, focusing on design features, demographic traits, and perceived authenticity. This research aims to explore theoretical insights and practical methods for advancing China’s cultural souvenir sector by examining behavioural patterns, preferences, and decision-making processes among a series of demographic groups. The researchers formulate an extensive theoretical framework that combines Peirce’s semiotic theory with the theory of planned behaviour to evaluate Chinese tourists’ preferences regarding souvenir design attributes, the mediating influence of perceived authenticity, and the effect of demographic variables on purchasing behaviour. We employed a quantitative research methodology to collect 620 valid questionnaire responses. The data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, structural equation modelling, reliability and validity assessments, exploratory factor analysis, and correlation analysis. The findings demonstrate that Chinese visitors prefer three design attributes: “Care and Travel”, “Aesthetic”, and “Unique”, with aesthetic appeal being the most significant determinant of purchase intention. Demographic variables such as age, gender, economic level, and education greatly influence design choices. Perceived authenticity is a vital intermediary between design attributes and purchase intention, indicating that increased perceived authenticity enhances purchasing motivation. This research offers valuable advice to souvenir designers, makers, and marketers, allowing them to more effectively align items with tourists’ expectations, improve shopping experiences, and stimulate market growth. Moreover, it establishes a basis for subsequent studies, advocating longitudinal studies to monitor the changing consumer behaviours of Chinese visitors and cross-cultural analyses of purchase habits. This research would enhance tourism marketing theory and promote the sustainable growth of China’s cultural souvenir sector.