How Outstanding Universal Value, Service Quality and Place Attachment Influences Tourist Intention Towards World Heritage Conservation: A Case Study of Mount Sanqingshan National Park, China

Sifeng Nian,Ling Mao,Youhai Lu,Yingying Zhang,Wenjing Zhao,Honglei Zhang,Hui Zhang,Yifan Xu

doi:10.3390/su11123321

Abstract

Since tourists are one of the important stakeholders in World Heritage Sites (WHSs), what factors influence them and how does the impact mechanism work on heritage conversation? In particular, World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs) are generally facing threats to their ecological and heritage protection by the influx of tourists. To this end, this study took the perspective of attractions with Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and tourist perceptions of service quality, and used place attachment as a mediator variable. Based on the 565 questionnaires responses by Mount Sanqingshan National Park (MSNP) tourists, the structural equation modelling technical method was adapted to explore the influence and mechanisms of tourist heritage protection. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the perception of an OUV attraction had a positive effect on place attachment and intention to protect heritage; however, place attachment did not have a mediating effect; (2) service quality had a positive effect on place attachment and intention to protect heritage, yet place attachment did not have a mediating effect; (3) service quality was more effective than the OUV attraction on intention to protect heritage, and affiliate attraction had a ‘core’ trend; and (4) tourists’ place attachment was not accepted as a positive assumption of their intention to protect heritage. Finally, we proposed measures and implications for enhancing the conservation and management of WNHSs, with a focus on building both the tourism industry and sustainable development of WHSs.

Highlights

World Heritage Sites (WHSs) refer to the rare and irreplaceable wealth currently recognised by the UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee [1]
The variance inflation factor (VIF < 10) scores of the linear regression of independent variables indicated that there was no multicollinearity in this study [95]. These findings demonstrated that the correlation coefficients were less than the square root of average variance extracted (AVE) (Table 1), which indicated that the discriminant validity was suitable [94]
The results demonstrated that place attachment to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) attraction and intention to protect heritage, and place attachment to the service quality and intention to protect heritage of the bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and percentile 95% confidence interval values contained 0, the two-tailed significance test was not significant, and Mackinnon’s PRODCLIN2 95% confidence interval contained 0, which showed that the mediation effect did not exist (Table 4)

Summary

Introduction

World Heritage Sites (WHSs) refer to the rare and irreplaceable wealth currently recognised by the UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee [1]. Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), an important part of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection Convention, is a core value and nomination criteria for WHSs [1]. In accordance with the World Heritage Convention (WHC), in China, activities such as value display, and scientific, cultural and ecological improvements are carried out at WHSs. many WHSs face challenges to their heritage protection caused by the rapidly expanding tourism industry; and the problems facing World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs) are problematic [4]. After Mount Sanqingshan National Park (MSNP) was declared a WHS in 2008, tourist numbers have soared from 1.48 million in 2008 to 23.27 million in 2018, which has caused problems and conflicts between the conservation of its natural beauty and local economic development. Caust and Vecco wondered; is being listed as a WHS a blessing or a burden [8]?

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion