Tourist loyalty and intangible cultural heritage: the case of Popayán, Colombia

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the loyalty of the tourists who visit a city with an important heritage event: The Holy Week Processions in the city of Popayán (Colombia), recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Design/methodology/approach

This research focuses on determining the mediating effect of the perception of the processions and the evaluation of the elements of the destination during a visit to the city by using a sample of 615 tourists. The software tool used in this research is the Smart partial least squares.

Findings

Results show that the motivations of the visitor are not enough by themselves to guarantee loyalty regarding the destination, but other variables are needed such as the perception of the processions and the evaluation of the elements of the destination, through which the motivation acquires a true meaning to secure the tourist’s loyalty.

Practical implications

The principal practical implication of this research is offering to the stakeholders involved in the promotion and organisation of this event an opportunity to undertake and review actions for improvement.

Originality/value

This research seeks to enlighten the interaction between heritage, sustainability and heritage in Latin America.

Citation

González Santa Cruz, F., Lopez-Guzman, T., Pemberthy Gallo, L.S. and Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, P. (2020), "Tourist loyalty and intangible cultural heritage: the case of Popayán, Colombia", Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 172-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-06-2019-0062