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

– many of whom are descendants of the mausoleum cultural, economic (Stone & Nyaupane, 2020), and social
custodians – foster a shared understanding of the heritage. values of heritage through targeted publicity campaigns
This contrasts with metropolitan communities, where (Tosun, 2000). In practice, managers often prioritize the
neighbors often remain unfamiliar with one another. The promotion of cultural treasures to tourists while neglecting
close-knit relationships within the village amplify the local residents. This oversight is particularly apparent in
significance of residents’ perceptions of heritage tourism. rural heritage sites in China, where locals, owing to low
Their deep-rooted connection to the heritage site enhances literacy rates, frequently fail to fully appreciate the value
their appreciation of it, strengthens their emotional ties to of cultural heritage. This cognitive awareness deficit can
the area, and heightens their willingness to participate in adversely affect locals’ emotional connections to history
tourism development initiatives. and heritage sites, ultimately hindering the development of
In light of the fact that the villages near the Ming local tourism activities.
Tombs still maintain a considerable resident population, The effective development of tourism activities at
the successful implementation of conservation measures heritage sites requires consideration of both residents’
requires the support and active involvement of these personal emotions and the influence of informal
residents. Therefore, these interventions must also community networks in promoting tourism growth.
address villagers’ livelihoods and economic needs. A variety of socio-economic factors can shape residents’
This underscores the necessity of integrating tourism behaviors in supporting or participating in tourism
development strategies that not only safeguard cultural development initiatives. These factors include the
assets but also meet the socio-economic aspirations of the management of community organizations, mechanisms
local community. for participation, and capacities for service provision,
among others. Future research could explore the
6. Conclusion development of rational policy standards and management
Tourism development at cultural heritage sites, similar to strategies for cultural heritage tourism, considering the
other tourist destinations, depends heavily on the support diverse viewpoints of individual residents and community
of local residents. While previous research has concentrated organizations. Enhancing residents’ emotional
on factors influencing residents’ willingness to engage in attachment to their community may involve leveraging
tourism development initiatives, there remains a notable its historical significance and organizing diverse events
gap in studies that concurrently examine intra-individual to foster emotional engagement. This approach could
motivators and social embeddedness in the context of entail revealing the community’s historical narratives
resident involvement at heritage sites (Rasoolimanesh and creating opportunities for residents to connect with
et al., 2017). This study addresses this gap by integrating their collective heritage. Moreover, local authorities and
intra-individual drivers and social embeddedness factors community administrators could strengthen community
into a structural equation modeling framework to embeddedness through incentives and subsidies,
clarify the causal links driven by their interaction. The thereby fostering a supportive cultural environment.
proposed modeling approach is applicable not only to Such strategies could progressively assist communities
cultural heritage sites but also to other community-based in appreciating and leveraging their cultural heritage in
tourism contexts. The findings demonstrate that the accordance with the overarching objectives of sustainable
interplay between residents’ individual motivations and tourism development.
social embeddedness elements positively influences their Employing established and validated scales is essential
willingness to engage in tourism development activities. By to ensure the scientific validity of research findings. This
expanding the scope of research on tourism development study adapts, modifies, and supplements existing scales
at heritage sites, this study deepens our understanding of to more accurately assess residents’ cognitive, emotional,
the factors shaping residents’ behavioral intentions toward and social embeddedness within the specific local context.
tourism initiatives. Nonetheless, the universality and applicability of these
The conclusion provides practical recommendations scales in analogous domains necessitate additional
for governments and managers of cultural heritage sites to empirical validation. Increasing sample size enhances the
optimize the use of heritage resources. Local governments capacity to analyze social phenomena more effectively.
and site managers must recognize the significant impact This research includes 202 valid questionnaires and, after
of residents’ perceptions of cultural heritage value on their modeling and item refinement, yields 13 items, resulting
attitudes toward tourism development. Efforts should in a sample size-to-item ratio of 15.5:1. This ratio adheres
be intensified to enhance residents’ awareness of the to the recommended standard of 15:1 and fulfills the basic

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 12 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5739