Heritage Tourism Behavior Model (Qualitative Study in Indonesia)

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined tourist behavior in Indonesia. Two variables were conceptualized as affecting the intention to visit: perceived destination quality and perceived social media advertising. In addition, attitude toward destination and attitude toward social media were conceptualized as mediating variables, while cultural orientation was conceptualized as a moderating variable. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews were conducted to verify the proposed concepts, further confirmed through a literature review utilizing credible sources such as Elsevier, Emerald, Springer, ScienceDirect, Ebsco, and Taylor & Francis. Findings: The present study proposed that tourist behavior in visiting heritage sites was affected by perceptions of heritage tourism and the attractiveness of social media advertising. It also suggested that attitude toward social media and attitude toward heritage tourism successfully acted as mediating variables. Finally, the study revealed that cultural orientation successfully moderated tourist behavior. Research limitations/implications: This study was conducted in Indonesia, which might limit its applicability to other countries. Theoretically, this study offers several propositions that can be modeled to explain consumer behavior. The model explains the role of cultural orientation as a moderating variable in forming intention to visit. Practically, the model in question can inform authorities on strategies to enhance tourism performance and increase tourism visits. Originality/value: This study conceptualized cultural orientation as a moderating variable based on the argument that individuals with low cultural orientation would have a different intention to visit compared to those with high culture orientation.