The Effect of Cultural Attachment on Perceived Image of Sojourn Destination: an Evidence From Chinese Descent Students of Asean Coming to Guangxi, China

Abstract

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to investigate how international students as experienced visitors constitute perceived images of their sojourns destination under the influence of cultural attachment. Theoretical framework: The framework extends the three-dimensional structure of perceived image consisting of the cognitive image, affective image, and conative image dimensions supported by previous literature (Agapito, Valle & Mendes, 2013), adding the relevant influence of the cultural attachment dimension (Hong, Fang, Yang & Phua, 2013). Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology used quantitative analysis. The deductive approach was used as a guide to build hypotheses based on the logical inter-dimensional relationships described previously in the literature. 525 ASEAN Chinese with study abroad experience in Guangxi participated in the questionnaire investigation as respondents, and related data were tested for the stated hypotheses using SPSS 26.0. Findings: The main findings further support previous similar studies that there are important interrelationships in the internal composition of perceived images, and innovatively confirm the important role of cultural attachment on perceived images. Research, Practical & Social implications: The research makes distinctive use of the cultural experiences of overseas students, offering possibilities for tourism image communication and destination marketing. Originality/value: The results uncover the academic value of cultural attachment to destination image marketing, which enriches the theoretical system of tourism destination marketing to some extent.