How perceived authenticity affects tourist satisfaction and behavioral intention towards natural disaster memorials: A mediation analysis

Abstract

The concept perceived authenticity has been increasingly adopted to understand tourists' experiences as well as behaviors, yet rarely in the context of dark tourism. This study thus, including the 5·12 Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial Museum in Sichuan of China as the research site, investigated the impacts of perceived authenticity on dark tourists' satisfaction and behavioral intention. Questionnaires from 433 tourists who visited the museum were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Results indicated that perceived authenticity positively impacted on tourist satisfaction and development intention towards the natural disaster memorial. Tourist satisfaction, as a mediator, fully mediated the impact of perceived authenticity on the protect intention of dark tourists, yet only partially mediated the effect on dark tourists' development intention. This study provides practical implications for destination government and managers to better understand the market of dark tourists in order to realize the sustainable development of dark tourism.