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Using cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to propose and test an integrated framework – comprising robotic service quality, robotic service authenticity, customer existential authenticity and customer revisit intention – on diners with experience using robotic technology in restaurants. The moderating role of robotic appearance is in the hypothesised relationship.

Data was gathered through a Web-based survey delivered to 428 diners who had experience using robotic services in restaurants in China. The hypotheses were analysed using a structural equation model and multi-group analysis was used to analyse the moderating effect.

The findings indicate that functional service quality positively influences robotic service authenticity and existential authenticity. However, technical service quality only affects existential authenticity, which leads to revisit intention. Robotic appearance moderated the relationship between functional service quality and service authenticity.

Restaurateurs should enhance robotic service authenticity, existential authenticity and revisit intention by improving robotic technical service collaborating with robot manufacturers and operators.

Focusing on cognitive appraisal theory, the findings serve as a starting point for investigating robotic service quality and authenticity in robotic service settings theoretically and empirically.

The purpose of this paper is to pave avenues and stimulate further research on the intersection of existentialism and tourism. This is done by presenting the overview of the topical areas that have greatly contributed to existentialism and connecting them to contemporary tourism issues.

The paper is structured by topical areas that received significant treatment from existentialists and are deemed relevant to the contemporary tourism research and practice. It starts with the discussion of authenticity and anxiety and then proceeds to the issues of alienation, death and mortality. It ends with a review of the sections on freedom and religion. In the conclusion, broader issues related to existentialism and (urban) tourism are discussed.

Aside from existential authenticity/anxiety and alienation, other existential categories (mortality, death, freedom and faith) are employed in a manner that is limited, superficial or not employed at all. The potential for tourism research lies in shifting the focus from a common tourist to special populations and hosting communities and service providers, as well as in investigating existential dimensions of city experiences of both tourists and residents.

This is the first paper to exclusively and explicitly discuss the links between existential philosophical categories and tourism research. It is hoped that tourism scholars extend these ideas and assess their relevance across non-European and culturally and religiously diverse contexts.

This study aims to construct a scale for measuring the spa hotel experiencescape in wellness tourism, clarify the mechanism through which wellness tourism experiencescape influences revisit intention and investigate the mediation roles of authenticity, memorability and organizational identification.

This study conducted content analysis of interviews, online reviews and relevant articles and used the concept of experiencescape to interpret spa hotels’ experiential environment. The stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model was used as the basis for introducing authenticity, memorability, organizational identification and revisit intention to investigate how wellness tourism experiencescape affects tourists’ behavior. In total, 488 valid questionnaires were collected at Taiwanese spa hotel clusters.

Four factors of spa hotel experiencescape were identified: health promotion treats, mental learning, unique travel experience and healthy diet. Existential authenticity–memorability and existential authenticity–organizational identification exerted full positive mediation effects in the relationship between wellness tourism experiencescape and revisit intention.

This study provides guidance on experience design for spa hotels. It promotes the consideration of existential authenticity in wellness tourism design.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness of wellness, drastically increasing the potential of the wellness tourism market. This study investigated the construction of wellness tourism experiencescape and its influence, and the findings can facilitate post-pandemic restoration of the wellness tourism industry. On the basis of SOR model, a chain mediation model was proposed to reveal the influence of wellness tourism experiencescape on revisit intention. Existential authenticity was discovered to play a crucial role in the relationship between wellness tourism experiencescape and revisit intention, which suggests that existential authenticity should be considered during service design and in marketing strategies for wellness tourism.

This paper aims to investigate the moderating role of aesthetic experience in the effect of authenticity on satisfaction in cultural heritage sites. At the same time, this study guides the perception of authenticity in cultural heritage sites.

Using structural equation modelling for quantitative data analysis, empirical data were collected from tourists in a cultural heritage site.

As a result of the findings, it was determined that the objective and constructive authenticity of the tourists did not affect satisfaction, while the existential authenticity affected satisfaction. The moderating role of aesthetic experience between existential authenticity and overall satisfaction has been determined.

The study suggests that aesthetic experience can be used by destination managers in tourists' perceptions of existential authenticity.

This study is the first to use aesthetic experience in tourists' perception of authenticity in cultural heritage sites. The findings show the importance of aesthetic experience in existential authenticity.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how tourists negotiate existential/experiential authenticity in cultural restaurant experiences as represented in their online reviews.

The paper uses netnography, a relatively novel web-based method, to examine the phenomenon of existential authenticity. Post-visit online reviews were analyzed to glean meanings and insights into tourists' lived experiences in Victoria Falls restaurants.

The analysis illustrates how the experience of existential authenticity is at the centre of tourist's recollections and more importantly, how it is a highly internalized, individual process. There is a strong suggestion in the tourists' reviews however that the totality of the experience is more important than its individual components; that a hedonistic search for “fun” characterizes the tourists' quest in tourism. Very little emphasis is placed on the authenticity of cultural objects, suggesting that existential authenticity may be more important in this context than objectivist authenticity.

First, the emphasis on the “total experience” highlights the importance of thinking beyond the food on the plate. Second, tourists' reference to having been “pleasantly surprised” should spur restaurateurs to indulge their creative abilities; to give tourists unexpected add-ons. Restaurants that are nonconformist, original, or unusual are likely to excite international travelers. Third, the importance of collective authenticity is well illustrated: tourists enjoy “sociality”. This means restaurant marketing collateral needs to reflect the social interaction concomitant to the experience. Finally, most tourists appreciate performative experiences, thus practitioners might need to offer more interactive rather than passive service consumption.

The study provides insights into a previously unresearched context using a nontraditional data collection method.

This paper aims to determine the affecting factors of the brand authenticity of startups in social media.

Using a qualitative method based on a grounded theory approach, this research specifies and classifies the affecting factors of brand authenticity of startups in social media through in-depth semi-structured interviews.

Multiple factors affecting the brand authenticity of startups in social media are determined and categorized as indexical, iconic and existential cues through this research. Connection to heritage and having credible support are determined as indexical cues. Founder intellectuality, brand intellectuality, commitment toward customers and proactive clear and interesting communications are identified as iconic cues. Having self-confidence and self-satisfaction, having intimacy with the brand and a joyful feeling for interactions with the community around the brand are determined as existential cues in this research. This research furthers previous arguments on a multiplicity of brand authenticity by shedding light on the relationship between the different aspects of authenticity and the form that different affecting factors can be organized together. Consumers eventually evaluate a strengthened perception of brand authenticity through existential cues that reflect the cues of other aspects (iconic and indexical) which passed through the goal-based assessment and self-authentication filter.

The research sampling population can be more diversified in terms of sociodemographic attributes. Due to the qualitative methodology of this research, assessment of the findings through quantitative methods can be considered in future research.

Using the findings of this research, startup managers can properly build a perception of authenticity in their consumers’ minds by using alternate factors while lacking major indexical cues such as heritage. This research helps startup businesses to design their brand communications better to convey their authenticity to their audiences.

This research determines the factors affecting the authenticity of startup brands in social media. It also defines the process of authenticity perception through different aspects of brand authenticity.

The normalization of COVID-19 disease prevention has presented a major opportunity for the transformation and upgrade of cultural and tourism products in Taiwan. This paper aims to explore the attractiveness of Taiwanese military dependents’ villages, known as juancun, two studies were conducted to test the path relationships of juancun experiencescape, authenticity, memorability and revisit intention.

This research conducted two studies by using a mixed sampling of snowball sampling and purposive sampling for the questionnaire survey. Based on the 397 valid questionnaires retained in Study 1, a cultural heritage site experiencescape was developed and validated; in Study 2, 393 valid questionnaires were collected, and structural equation modeling was conducted to test hypotheses that were developed drawing on the stimulus–organism–response model and theory of buyer behavior.

It is revealed that cultural heritage site experiencescape include natural and cultural, social, sensory and functional factors and that the experiencescape affects authenticity positively; “existential authenticity–memorability” mediates the relationship of experiencescape and revisit intention, whereas co-creation behavior has the positive moderating effects on the relationship of experiencescape and authenticity.

The research developed an experiencescape scale for cultural heritage sites and described the managerial implications for destination management organizations regarding product development and service design.

COVID-19疫情防控的常态化为台湾的文化和旅游产品升级转型提供了巨大的契机。为了明确台湾眷村的旅游吸引力, 本研究操作两个研究设计以检定眷村体验景观、真实性、难忘性及重游意图之间的路径关系。

本研究操作的两个研究设计皆采用滚雪球抽样和目的性抽样的混合抽样方法进行问卷调查。基于研究设计一回收的397份有效问卷, 发展和验证了眷村文化遗产地体验景观量表; 运用研究设计二回收的393份有效问卷, 操作结构方程模型分析以检定基于刺激-机体-反应理论和买方行为理论发展的假设。

本研究揭示了文化遗产地体验景观包含自然与文化、社会、感官、功能性因素; 体验景观正向影响真实性; “存在主义真实性-难忘性”中介调节体验景观和重游意图的关系; 共创行为正向调节体验景观与真实性的关系。

本研究发展了文化遗产地体验景观量表, 并就产品发展和服务设计为旅游目的地管理组织提供了实务建议。

Esta investigación llevó a cabo dos estudios mediante un muestreo mixto de bola de nieve y muestreo intencionado para la encuesta por cuestionario. A partir de los 397 cuestionarios válidos retenidos en el Estudio 1, se desarrolló y validó el experiencescape del patrimonio cultural; en el Estudio 2, se recogieron 393 cuestionarios válidos y se realizó un modelado de ecuaciones estructurales para probar las hipótesis que se desarrollaron a partir del modelo estímulo-organismo-respuesta y la teoría del comportamiento del comprador.

La normalización de la prevención de la enfermedad COVID-19 ha supuesto una gran oportunidad para la transformación y mejora de los productos culturales y turísticos de Taiwán. Para explorar el atractivo de las aldeas de los familiares de militares en Taiwan, conocidos como juancun, se realizaron dos estudios para probar las relaciones de trayectoria del experiencescape del juancun, la autenticidad, la memorabilidad y la intención de volver a visitarlo.

Se revela que el experiencescape del patrimonio cultural de la aldea militar incluye factores naturales y culturales, sociales, sensoriales y funcionales, y que el experiencescape afecta positivamente a la autenticidad; la “autenticidad existencial-memorabilidad” media en la relación del experiencescape y la intención de volver a visitarlo, mientras que el comportamiento de cocreación tiene los efectos moderadores positivos en la relación del experiencescape y la autenticidad.

La investigación desarrolló una escala de experiencescape para el patrimonio cultural del sitio y describió las implicaciones gerenciales para las organizaciones de gestión de destinos en relación con el desarrollo de productos y el diseño de servicios.

The purpose of this paper is to discover authenticity dimensions that draw tourists to Melaka and George Town World Heritage Site. It also examined the mediating effect of attachment and the moderating effect of cultural motivation.

A mixed-method design was used. Qualitative approach was conducted to discover authenticity dimensions followed by a quantitative approach to explore the dimensions’ ability in predicting attachment and intention to recommend.

Findings revealed that objective, existential and food authenticity were significant stimuli of recommend intention. The mediating effect of attachment on constructive authenticity-intention and existential authenticity-intention were also supported. Cultural motivation indeed moderated the relationship between objective authenticity-attachment, constructive authenticity-attachment and existential authenticity-attachment.

Knowing that authenticity can be perceived differently, therefore, a mixed-method study design offers more insight on discovering authenticity elements. Using a qualitative approach, the study began by exploring important authenticity dimensions from both supply and demand groups, and subsequently, these dimensions were verified using quantitative approach. As expected, food authenticity was found as a standalone dimension.

Underpinned by the consumer-based model of authenticity (CBA), this study aims to investigate whether leisure involvement, object-based and existential authenticity, host sincerity and engagement stimulate positive memorable visitor experiences in a distinctive commercial hospitality setting: a living history site.

Quantitative data were gathered from living history site visitors (n = 1,004), with partial least squares structural equation modeling used to test the hypothesized relationships.

The results confirm the inclusion of the hypothesized relationships between leisure involvement, sincerity and authenticity, relative to engagement and subsequent memorability. The findings suggest that engagement can be a predictor of a positive memorable experience, contingent on CBA constructs (sincerity; object-based authenticity; existential authenticity). The significant association between object-based authenticity and memorable experience identified herein differs from some published studies, while other results are broadly consistent with extant research. Results also reveal significant differences for visitors who purchased souvenirs when compared to those who did not.

The research extends the CBA by positing sincere hospitality as a relationship-based encounter between host and guest that influences social interaction, engagement and memorability within the novel living history site context. Further, the ability to differentiate visitors based on their purchases at the site is illustrated.

Given the ubiquity of engagement and authenticity as precursors to memorable experiences within contemporary commercial hospitality and heritage discourses, the findings apply to hospitality experiences beyond the living history site context examined herein.

This study aims to empirically examine young tourists’ perceptions of object-based authenticity, existential authenticity and perceived value perceptions on satisfaction. Data were collected from young heritage tourists at the Little India heritage precinct in Singapore.

Qualitative data were collected via a pen and paper questionnaire at Little India in Singapore. Young tourists below 30 years of age were identified to complete the questionnaire. A total of 288 sets of valid responses were collected to perform statistical analysis to test the relationships between the key constructs in the research model.

The results of the study reaffirmed the application of the perceived value framework to authenticity. Object-based authenticity, existential authenticity and perceived monetary value yielded significant and positive effects on overall perceived value and, subsequently, satisfaction. Further, overall perceived value was found to mediate the relationships between object-based authenticity, existential authenticity and perceived monetary with satisfaction.

This study provides researchers with a better understanding of authenticity and value perceptions of young tourists. It also lends further support for the integration of object-based and existential authenticity into the multidimensional approach to perceived value.

The results help destination marketers and policymakers better understand this important segment to develop more effective and sustainable marketing and management strategies.

This study addresses the lack of research in the literature on young tourists who will shape the tourism landscape of the future. It also further assesses the propriety of integrating authenticity measures into the measurement of perceived value.