Page 128 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Heritage tourism: Personal and collective factors

H is corroborated, demonstrating that residents’ 5. Discussion
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emotional attachment to their local area significantly and
positively affects their behavioral intention to participate The behavioral intentions of residents in tourist destinations
in cultural heritage tourism development. Notably, pride have been a focal point in prior research, with most studies
examining the influence of residents’ perceptions of
in their heritage and loyalty to their local community tourism impact on their behavioral intentions. Nonetheless,
exerted the strongest influence, with a path coefficient of
0.574, surpassing the coefficient of 0.291 for a sense of there has been limited attention to the possible impact of
responsibility toward heritage preservation. This impact residents’ views and emotions regarding tourism resources
suggests that residents with stronger emotional connections on these aspirations. This study addresses this gap by
examining two villages within the Ming Tombs scenic
to their locality are more inclined to support and engage area in suburban Beijing as case studies. It investigates
in tourism development efforts. While the impact of
the sense of responsibility for heritage preservation was how residents’ perceptions and emotions shape their
comparatively modest, the mean score of 3.86 reflects a behavioral intentions, integrating the cognition–emotion–
behavioral framework with community interaction
general consensus among residents in favor of cultural dynamics and residents’ behavioral actions. This study
heritage preservation. This sentiment likely arises from constructs a structural equation model by combining the
their awareness of the delicate equilibrium between
safeguarding cultural heritage and fostering tourism cognitive–emotional–behavioral framework with elements
of community interaction to evaluate the mechanisms
development, as well as their evaluation of the intrinsic influencing behavioral intentions toward tourism
value and the extrinsic benefits associated with cultural development in cultural heritage sites. This approach
heritage preservation.
provides a nuanced understanding of the factors shaping
H is validated, confirming that place embeddedness residents’ willingness to engage in tourism development.
3
significantly and positively influences residents’ perception Consistent with Prayag & Del Chiappa’s (2023)
of heritage value. Residents with a deeper understanding findings, the cognitive–emotional–behavioral model
of their village’s history and culture displayed greater offers a comprehensive explanation of the behavioral
appreciation for the Ming Tombs as a cultural heritage. intentions of residents at cultural heritage sites regarding
This appreciation suggests that cognitive embeddedness their participation in tourism activities. Cognitive factors
reflects how cultural heritage resources integrate into significantly influence residents’ emotions about their
residents’ value systems and belief structures. Furthermore, locality, with assessments of cultural and economic values
residents’ active engagement in community events and exerting a notably positive impact on emotional responses.
close interactions with neighbors foster strong community These cognitive factors are indicative of residents’
ties and strengthen social cohesion. These connections, awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage. Enhanced
in turn, encourage greater participation in local cultural cognitive awareness fosters pride in heritage, loyalty to the
activities and practices, further amplifying their local community, and a sense of responsibility for heritage
appreciation for cultural heritage. Conversely, village rules preservation, all of which significantly influence attitudes
and regulations exert a relatively negligible influence on toward the protection and utilization of cultural heritage.
residents’ perceptions of heritage value. Overall, the deeper While some scholars have suggested that residents’
the villagers’ embeddedness within their community, the perceptions of tourism resources directly influence their
more pronounced their perception of cultural heritage participation in tourism activities (Luo et al., 2022), this
value becomes. study reveals a more complex mechanism. Specifically, the
H is supported, indicating that local embeddedness cognitive evaluation of cultural heritage value significantly
4
has a substantial positive effect on residents’ propensity influences residents’ emotional responses, which, in turn,
to engage in tourism sectors, with a coefficient of 0.606. affect their willingness to engage in tourism development
This finding suggests that increased integration within activities. This finding may be attributed to the historical
the local community is strongly associated with a higher ties between the villages established as settlements for
likelihood of residents expressing favorable support and mausoleum custodians and the mausoleums themselves.
a willingness to participate in local tourism development. Village residents, especially the descendants of the
This phenomenon can be attributed to residents’ emotional original mausoleum custodians, maintain a profound
attachment to and identification with local cultural and enduring bond with the cultural monument. Their
heritage, coupled with their optimistic anticipations for emotional connection to the tomb region strongly affects
the prospective economic and social benefits of tourism their attitudes toward the tourism development related to
development. the cultural monument.

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 10 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5739