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This paper aims to fill a research gap on whether cultural background (Eastern or Western) influences tourist flow experiences and outcomes with Chinese-speaking tourists.

The authors conducted flow-aware, guided cultural tours in Kyoto, Japan, from March 2019 to February 2020. Tourists visited the same spots on the same route with the same guide to avoid discrepancies stemming from experiencing different tours with different guides. Professional photoshoots were conducted to study the flow experience under high challenges. Participants were Chinese-speaking tourists worldwide. The guide spoke in Chinese to minimise language bias. Participants were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire within one week of the tours.

The authors received 191 valid responses. Those from the Eastern regions showed significantly lower flow states and outcomes than their counterparts from the Western regions under high challenges, whereas this phenomenon was not observed under low challenges. A positive correlation between the flow state and outcomes was observed in both regional groups.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to apply flow theory to guided cultural tours with Chinese-speaking tourists from different cultural backgrounds. It was found that those from the Eastern regions can have flow experience and good outcomes in guided tours, although they may require a lower level of challenge. A managerial implication is that cultural tours should be designed considering the balance between challenges and tourists’ cultural background to optimise their flow experiences and outcomes.