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Relationships among perception of

heritage management, satisfaction and
destination cultural image
a
Fanny Vong
a
Institute for Tourism Studies, Colina de Mong-Ha, Macao, China
Published online: 07 Nov 2013.

To cite this article: Fanny Vong (2013) Relationships among perception of heritage management,
satisfaction and destination cultural image, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 11:4, 287-301,
DOI: 10.1080/14766825.2013.852564

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2013.852564

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 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 2013
Vol. 11, No. 4, 287–301, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2013.852564

Relationships among perception of heritage management,

satisfaction and destination cultural image
Fanny Vong*

Institute for Tourism Studies, Colina de Mong-Ha, Macao, China

(Received 3 April 2013; accepted 23 September 2013)
Downloaded by [Tech Edu Inst of Thessaloniki] at 02:43 10 December 2013

The paper explores how visitors’ perception of a destination’s heritage management

affects satisfaction with actual visits to the sites and overall perception of the
destination’s cultural image, using Macao as the case setting. The study will also look
at how site visit satisfaction influences the intention to revisit and recommend to
others. The findings indicated that perception of the quality of heritage interpretation
was significantly associated with destination cultural image and site visit satisfaction.
However, associations between site visit satisfaction and intention to revisit and
recommend were weak. The findings also led to a discussion on whether the labels
‘cultural’ versus ‘non-cultural’ tourists remain stable over time.
Keywords: cultural tourism; Macao; heritage; destination image; satisfaction

Purpose of the study

The aim of this paper is to explore how visitors’ perception of a destination’s heritage man-
agement affects satisfaction with actual visits to the sites and overall perception of the des-
tination’s cultural image, using Macao as the case setting. The study will also look at how
site visit satisfaction influences the intention to revisit and recommend the sites to others.
The findings provide suggestions on better cultural heritage management practices, as
well as tourism marketing and promotion strategies to wisely capitalize on a destination’s
cultural resources. These practices could also help to improve site visitation experience and
overall appreciation of the destination’s cultural heritage. These in turn help to shape a com-
petitive destination image in the minds of tourists.

Macao’s cultural tourism resources

In the last decade, Macao has become the world’s most lucrative gaming and entertainment
centre. Yet, the destination has been over-reliant on this single tourist product and the Main-
land China market which constitutes around 60% of total tourist arrival on an annual
average. This poses threats to the sustainable development of the economy. The Central
Government of the People’s Republic of China shows strong support for the city’s
tourism development and sets high expectations in its 12th Five-year Plan to transform
Macao into a ‘World Centre of Tourism and Leisure’. Since then, the government and
the community have been discussing ways to diversify the tourism products and tourist
base of the destination.

*Email: fanny@ift.edu.mo

© 2013 Taylor & Francis

 288 F. Vong

Among the potential tourism resources of the city, heritage is the only one that is as
internationally recognized as Macao’s gaming business. In July 2005, Macao’s Historic
Centre was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Macao’s Historic Centre con-
sists of some 20 heritage buildings and squares. The universal value of the Historic
Centre of Macao lies in its being the product of over four decades of uninterrupted cultural
exchange between the east and west, as well as a symbol of respect for diversity between the
western world and Chinese civilization. It is, to this date in China, the oldest, largest, most
well-protected and concentrated area featuring mainly western architectural style in tandem
with Chinese architecture. It is also witness to the spread of Western religion to China and
the Far East (Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau, 2012).
As the government and community pay greater attention to the preservation and tourism
potential of the city’s heritage, local academics have begun to write more about Macao’s
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heritage in recent years, though the volume of work on this topic still remains scant.
Vong and Ung (2012) identified that history and culture, facilities and service at heritage
sites, heritage interpretation and heritage attractiveness were four factors of concern to heri-
tage tourists visiting Macao and emphasized the importance of effective on-site heritage
interpretation and customer service quality in leading to satisfactory visitor experience.
Io and Hallo (2011) observed how Macao tour guides interpret the historical and cultural
significance of sites within the Macao Historic Centre ensemble and found that the
guides tended to interpret each site separately from the larger and more significant collec-
tion of heritage sites belonging to the Macao Historic Centre, therefore, leading to a lower
level of authentic experience. Wan and Kong (2012) assessed the career perceptions of
undergraduate students of heritage management and found that students showed a low
intention to enter the industry upon graduation but faculty members and heritage-related
work experience had the greatest positive influences on students’ career decisions.

Cultural tourism and destination image

In the last two decades, cultural tourism as a form and niche market of tourism has received
considerable attention. Richards (1994, 1996) perused national and regional government
tourism policies in Europe in the past 15 years and found that heritage tourism was a
major new area of tourism demand and that governments were eager to develop this
market that could be used to boost local culture and aid the seasonable and geographic
spread of tourism. In Germany, cultural tourism was regarded as a mega-trend and
experts expected considerable international growth in this area (Hausmann, 2007). The
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey would also be focusing on cultural and heritage
tourism as an important tourism development strategy for the coming years (Alvarez &
Korzay, 2011).
In the Charter of Cultural Tourism, the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS, 1976) defined cultural tourism as a form of tourism whose object is, among
other aims, the discovery of monuments and sites. Later, in the 1999 International Cultural
Tourism Charter, ICOMOS defined heritage as a broad concept that includes the natural as
well as the cultural environment. It encompasses landscapes, historic places, sites and built
environments, as well as biodiversity, collections, past and continuing cultural practices,
knowledge and living experiences (ICOMOS, 1999). Sigala and Leslie (2005), as quoted
in Huh, Uysal, and McClearly (2006), defined heritage and cultural tourism as the
segment of the tourism industry that placed special emphasis on heritage and cultural attrac-
tions. These attractions included art museums, plays, and orchestral and other musical per-
formances, museums, displays, archaeological sites and the like.
 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 289

The benefits of developing cultural tourism are manifold. Besides diversifying the tourist
portfolio, a destination’s distinct cultural assets can improve its image and enhance its competi-
tive advantage (Rudan, 2010). Alvarez and Korzay’s (2011) study showed positive relationship
between respondents’ knowledge related to historical and cultural aspects of Turkey and their
perceptions of the destination. Prebensen’s (2007) research supported the postulation that tour-
ists’ images of a destination served as a foundation for creating a competitive destination image.
Other researchers (Richards, 2002; Ritchie & Crouch, 2003) found that cultural and historical
resources of a destination could influence destination choice. Bigne, Sanchez, and Sanchez
(2001) focused on the relationship between the perceived image of a destination and tourists’
behavioural intentions, and concluded that tourism image is a direct antecedent of perceived
quality satisfaction, intention to return and willingness to recommend the destination. This
was echoed by Assaker, Vinzi, and O’Connor (2011) who reported that destination image
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positively influences perceived quality and satisfaction. Chen, Chen, and Lee (2010) quoted
past research (Anand, Holbrook, & Stephens, 1988; Hunter & Yong, 2007; Stern & Krakover,
1993) arguing that some places imprinted powerful symbolic features in the minds of tourists
and that tourists’ antecedent knowledge of destinations played a part in weaving up such
images regardless whether or not they had visited the places.
What then affects perceived heritage image? Debes (2011) emphasized the importance
of authenticity and preservation of culture. She was concerned about community stake-
holders being able to devise a strategy to uphold the uniqueness of cultural assets by
sharing their significance and sustaining their marketability. To achieve this, a consensus
on policy, planning, conservation and preservation of cultural commodities for tourists’
consumption is required. Hausmann (2007) offered another perspective on the importance
of heritage sites having a clear-cut and attractive profile, that is, a positioning strategy that
creates a clear perception among the target groups of one’s own facility and its various
attractions. He argued that the positioning has confidence-inducing impact, making cultural
tourist feel confident that their expectations in visiting a museum, castle or historical inner
city will be fulfilled in terms, for example, of discovering and learning new things, and sti-
mulating the senses. According to ICOMOS (1999), it is important to consider protection,
conservation, interpretation and presentation of the heritage and cultural diversity of any
particular place or region in managing the dynamic interaction between tourism and cultural
heritage. It further states that conservation and tourism programmes should present high-
quality information for visitors to appreciate the heritage significance and the need for pro-
tection. At the same time, sites should provide appropriate facilities for the comfort, safety
and well-being of the visitor. The discussion above illustrates the importance of good man-
agement practices in generating positive image of heritage sites that could, in turn, affect
tourists’ perception of overall destination image.
On the basis of the above discussion, the following hypothesis was formed:

H1: Perception of heritage management influences perception of the destination’s cultural image.

Perception of heritage management and satisfaction

Huh, Uysal, and McClearly (2006) noted that recent studies of cultural and heritage tourism
mainly focused on identifying the characteristics, development and management of cultural
and heritage tourism, as well as on investigating demographic and travel behaviour charac-
teristics of cultural tourists. However, there have been few studies that study the expec-
tations of and satisfaction with cultural and heritage destination attributes as well as
market segmentation for cultural and heritage tourism.
 290 F. Vong

Olsen (2002) found both theoretical and empirical arguments for the order of occur-
rence between quality and satisfaction from past literature and that some researchers
have empirically confirmed that satisfaction was preceded by quality performance. Chen
and Chen (2010) quoted several past studies that suggested that perceptions of service
quality and value affect satisfaction, and satisfaction in turn affects loyalty and post-
behaviours, such that satisfied tourists may revisit a destination, recommend it to others
or express favourable comments about the destination. Assaker, Vinzi, and O’Connor
(2011) also pointed out that the link between satisfaction and post-purchase behaviour
has been well established by referring to a number of studies confirming a significant
positive relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty/retention (e.g. Anderson
& Sullivan, 1990; Cronin, Brady, & Hult, 2000; Taylor & Baker, 1994). They quoted
Kotler, Bowen, and Makens (1996) as having established the following sequence
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between image and satisfaction: image → quality → satisfaction. Their own study con-
firmed that satisfaction has a significant, positive and direct impact on immediate revisit
intention.
Lee, Petrick, and Crompton (2007) found a mediating effect of perceived service
quality, perceived value and satisfaction on behavioural intentions and suggested that
providers should put more efforts into delivering better service value and satisfaction by
focusing on the dimensions deemed important to visitors. Applying this understanding
to heritage site, managers should strive to provide high quality, satisfying experiences per-
ceived to be of good value.
Regarding the specific attributes of heritage sites that affect tourist satisfaction, Boukas
(2007) examined young visitors’ perceptions about an archaeological site in Greece using
attributes related to the attractions, facilities, hospitality, infrastructure and experience. De
Rojas and Camarero (2008) contended that a well-designed way of presenting the cultural
product, including location, internal distribution, walkways, lighting or informative panels,
interpretation and the intangibles surrounding the cultural product could stimulate and
increase visitors’ interest and involvement, leading to perceived value, satisfaction and even-
tually visitor loyalty. Gilmore (2007) cautioned that World Heritage sites should not be
viewed as a product in the traditional sense as they provide intangible and social experiences
at the same time. The tangible and commercial components are core site features, visitor
centres, amenities and facilities such as retail and catering outlets. Intangible elements
include accessibility of services and sites, interpretation and helpfulness of staff, means of
directing and orientating the visitor, and methods of stimulating interest and engagement.
The promotional material specifically designed to attract and inform visitors about a site
along with guidance signs and directional information are also important parts of visitor
experience and prioritization of their time on site. By using a different interpretation, the
same contents can be made attractive to different segments (Rudan, 2010).
On the basis of the above discussion, the following hypotheses were formed:

H2: Perception of heritage management influences satisfaction with heritage visits.

H3: Satisfaction with heritage visits influences the intention to revisit and recommend.

Methodology
Sampling
Visitors were intercepted at four departure points of Macao, namely, the Outer Ferry Term-
inal, Taipa Ferry Terminal, Airport and Border Gate. The two ferry terminals and the airport
 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 291

mainly receive Hong Kong and international visitors while the Border Gate is the main
entry point for visitors from Mainland China. Therefore, it is believed that this sampling
method could result in a fair representation of respondents from different origins. The field-
work took place in the first week of March 2012, covering both weekdays and weekends.
Trained interviewers administered questionnaires to visitors departing Macao. Six hundred
and ninety questionnaires were attempted and 500 usable ones were collected, representing
a response rate of 72.5%.

Instrument
A questionnaire was used in the study. Three questions on perception of Macao’ heritage
management asked respondents to rate, on a scale of 1–5 (from totally disagree to totally
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agree), how much they perceived that Macao’s world heritage was well-protected, well-
promoted and well-interpreted. Then, based on the instrument used by Boukas (2007)
about heritage site attributes critical to the overall satisfaction of tourists, 14 statements
deemed relevant to Macao’s heritage sites were extracted. Respondents were requested to
rate their level of satisfaction, on a scale of 1–5 (from very dissatisfied to very satisfied),
both tangible and intangible site attributes such as facilities, signage, service, interpretation,
exhibits and display, among others. There was also a question to gauge the overall level of
satisfaction. Three statements were used to evaluate respondents’ perception of the overall
cultural image of the destination. These were: ‘Macao’s cultural heritage can demonstrate
the history of east–west cultural exchange’, ‘Macao has a depth of culture’ and ‘Macao’s
history and culture is one of the reasons for my visit’. Single-item questions were used
to measure respondents’ intention to recommend the city’s cultural heritage to friends
and relatives, as well as intention to return to visit the city’s other cultural heritage. The
other questions collected information on the purpose of visit, activities engaged in and
demographic information of the respondents.
A pilot testing was conducted prior to the actual fieldwork, administering 50 question-
naires to tourists departing from the four exit points of Macao. Based on the interviewers’
feedback, some questions were rephrased or reorganized to enhance the flow and clarity.
Both English and Chinese versions of the questionnaire were used in the fieldwork.

Profile of the respondents

Table 1 presents the sample characteristics. Around 57% of the respondents were from
Mainland China, 20.6% from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 10.8% from
Chinese Taiwan and the rest from international origins. The sample showed a similar
pattern to Macao’s tourist market composition in 2011, with 58% from Mainland China,
27% from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and 4% from Chinese Taiwan
(Macao Statistics and Census Service, 2012).
Female respondents made up 57.2% of the sample. The majority of the respondents
were between 25 and 34 years old (43%). Around 30% were between 35 and 44 and
14% were between 45 and 54 years old. Half of the respondents had attained high
school or vocational education (50.5%) and 45% a university degree.
Most visitors (43.8%) were overnighters (spending one night), 31.2% stayed for three or
more days and 25% were day trippers. As for frequency of visit, 34.7% of the respondents
were first-time visitors to Macao. Those who have visited two to five times made up 37.1%.
There was quite a substantial portion of frequent visitors (28.1%), having visited over 5
times and even up to 100 times.
 292 F. Vong

Table 1. Profile of respondents.

n Per cent
Gender
Male 214 42.8
Female 286 57.2
Age
15–24 45 9.0
25–34 215 43.0
35–44 153 30.6
45–54 69 13.8
55–64 13 2.6
≥65 5 1.0
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Education
Primary or below 22 4.4
High school or vocational 253 50.6
Bachelor or above 225 45.0
Income (USD)
≤625 165 33.0
626–1250 137 27.4
1251–1875 93 18.6
1876–2500 45 9.0
>2501 53 10.6
Place of origin
Mainland China 283 56.6
Hong Kong SAR 103 20.6
Taiwan China 54 10.8
South Korea 1 0.2
Japan 3 0.6
Philippines 5 1.0
Malaysia 20 4.0
Thailand 10 2.0
Singapore 4 0.8
USA 2 0.4
Europe 6 1.2
Others 9 1.8
Occupation
Senior management 34 6.8
Professional 139 27.8
White-collar 94 18.8
Blue-collar 22 4.4
Student 19 3.8
Unemployed 39 7.8
Self-employed 42 8.4
Others 111 22.2

Distinguishing between cultural and non-cultural tourists

The respondents were categorized into two groups, cultural and non-cultural visitors, based
on whether they had visited heritage sites and museums in their present trip to Macao. The
literature has documented other more sophisticated ways of classifying cultural tourists
based on cultural motives, depth of experience and demographics, among other criteria
(Ashworth & Tunbridge, 1990; Hughes, 2002; McKercher & du Cros, 2003; Prentice,
1993; Richards, 1996; Silberberg, 1995; Stebbins, 1996). For the purpose of the present
study, it was considered sufficient to distinguish between the two cohorts in a broad
 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 293

sense. Three hundred and eighty-one visitors visited heritage sites and/or museums in the
present trip and were classified as cultural visitors. Those who did not do so (n = 119)
were classified as non-cultural visitors. The purpose was to ensure only visitors who had
experience visiting the heritage sites in the present trip were included in subsequent
analysis.
An interesting observation was made about ‘cultural tourists’ – they might have become
non-cultural tourists over time as their visit frequency to a destination increased. Among
first-time visitors (n = 156), an overwhelming 92.9% visited the city’s heritage and/or
museums in the present trip. Among infrequent (two to four times) visitors (n = 139),
80.6% did so whereas among frequent (five or more times) ones (n = 205), the figure
further dropped to 60.5% (χ2 = 53.5, p < 0.001). This phenomenon has implications on
the definition of cultural tourists as documented in the literature. The implications will
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be discussed at length in a later section.

Perception of Macao’s heritage management

Respondents were asked how much they agreed, or perceived, that Macao’s cultural heri-
tage was well-protected, well-promoted and well-interpreted. Respondents who felt they
could not comment on the statements were given the option ‘no idea’. Descriptive statistics
showed that they were positive about the management efforts put in protecting and promot-
ing Macao’s heritage (Table 2). After excluding respondents who had ‘no idea’, the mean
scores were 4.06 for both perception items. For perception about interpretation, the mean
score was 3.77. However, it should be noted that around 28% of respondents had no
idea, and hence did not comment on this last item. This should raise some cause for
concern as interpretation of heritage is a very important, if not core, factor contributing
to the quality of the visit experience, as emphasized by ICOMOS (1999).

Regression analysis: perception of Macao’s heritage management and overall

perception of destination cultural image
A regression analysis was conducted to discern the association between perception of
Macao’s heritage management and the city’s overall cultural image (Table 3). In the analy-
sis, the three statements related to perceptions about protection, promotion and interpret-
ation of Macao’s heritage were used as independent variables. The three equations tested
were all significant with adjusted r2 ranging from 0.18 to 0.22. Perception about heritage
interpretation was significantly associated with all three perceptions about the destination’s
cultural image – that Macao’s cultural heritage can demonstrate the history of cultural
exchange (std beta = 0.30, p < 0.001), Macao has a depth of culture (std beta = 0.23, p <
0.001) and that its history and culture is one of the reasons for visiting (std beta = 0.20,
p < 0.01). The other two perception items were also found to be significantly associated

Table 2. Perception about Macao’s cultural heritage.

n (excluding ‘no Std % of ‘no idea’
idea’ respondents) Mean dev. responses
Macao’s cultural heritage is well-protected 359 4.06 0.75 5.8
Macao’s cultural heritage is well-promoted 359 4.06 0.81 5.8
Macao’s cultural heritage is well-interpreted 273 3.77 0.87 28.3
 294 F. Vong

Table 3. Regression of perception about Macao’s cultural heritage and destination cultural image.
Std beta
Adjusted
r2 F Sig. Protection Promotion Interpretation
Perception about Macao’s destination cultural image
Macao’s cultural heritage can 0.18 18.94 0.000 0.06 0.18* 0.30***
demonstrate the history of
east–west cultural
exchange
Macao has a depth of culture 0.22 24.82 0.000 0.26*** 0.12 0.23***
Macao’s history and culture is 0.21 17.81 0.000 0.08 0.30*** 0.20**
one of the reasons for my
visit
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*p < 0.05.
**p < 0.01.
***p < 0.001.

with certain aspects of the destination’s cultural image. Hence, the findings showed a fairly
strong support for H1.

Factor analysis: satisfaction with visits to Macao’s cultural heritage sites

Regarding satisfaction with the tangible and intangible aspects of the heritage sites, respon-
dents who had no knowledge about the statements were given the option ‘no idea’. The
respondents were most satisfied with directional elements (e.g. signages and signposting)
of the sites and least with crowdedness (Table 4). The low satisfaction with crowdedness
might be due to the majority of visitors concentrating their visits to a few popular sites
only. Variety of exhibits and displays was marginally above 3.5, a cut-off point between sat-
isfaction and dissatisfaction. Surprisingly, 33.3% of the respondents had no idea about
interpretation and guiding services at the sites, 13.6% about staff attitude, 11.5%

Table 4. Satisfaction with heritage site attributes.

n (excluding ‘no Std % of ‘no idea’
idea’ respondents) Mean dev. responses
Signage within the sites 365 4.04 0.81 4.2
Cleanliness 376 4.03 0.90 1.3
Accessibility to and from the sites 360 4.01 0.81 5.5
Site maintenance 365 4.01 0.78 4.2
Signposting to and from site 362 4.00 0.75 5.0
Scenery along the way 376 3.97 0.77 1.3
Authenticity 357 3.91 0.79 6.3
Information about the sites 345 3.89 0.84 9.4
Staff attitude 329 3.82 0.92 13.6
Resting areas for visitors 370 3.72 0.89 2.9
Uniqueness of souvenirs 337 3.71 1.45 11.5
Site interpretation and guiding service 254 3.63 0.93 33.3
Variety of exhibits and displays 338 3.59 0.85 11.3
Crowdedness 375 3.33 1.10 1.6
Overall satisfaction 375 3.90 0.75 1.6
 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 295

uniqueness of souvenirs and 11.3% variety of exhibits. Overall satisfaction registered a mean
score of 3.9.
A principal components analysis using Varimax rotation was conducted to reduce the
items to a manageable number of factors. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling
adequacy was 0.88 and significant (Table 5). Three factors with eigenvalues larger than
1 were extracted which explained 55.3% of the variance. Items with loadings less than
0.4 were suppressed. Table 4 shows the rotated components matrix. The internal consist-
ency of the factors was satisfactory, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.78 to 0.81.
For each factor, no deletion of items could further improve the Cronbach alpha values.
The results were considered reliable, since 0.50 is the minimum value for accepting the
reliability test (Hair, Anderson, Tatham, & Black, 1998).
According to Gilmore (2007), the physical aspect of the tourism service product is the
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site itself, a natural feature or land area. The layout of a tourism site is important as it
creates the space for visitors to sightsee and explore. On the other hand, interpretation
adds value and meaning and helps visitors appreciate the unique features and context of
a site. Hence, based on these descriptions, the three factors were labelled: Context,
Content and Accessibility. The first factor was related to the environment within and
around the sites. Content was about information and interpretation, experience provided
and knowledge gained at the sites. Accessibility referred to directions and ease of
getting to and from the sites. The mean scores of the items that loaded on each factor
were averaged for further analysis.
Ranking from the highest to lowest aggregate mean scores on a scale of 1–5 (very dis-
satisfied to very satisfied), the three factors were Accessibility (m = 4), Context (m = 3.9)
and Content (m = 3.7). A linear regression showed that overall satisfaction with visiting
Macao’s cultural heritage was significantly affected by all three factors (adjusted r2 =
0.17, p < 0.000). Nonetheless, taken alone, only the standardized beta values for Accessi-
bility (0.21) and Context (0.25) were both significant at p < 0.001. That for Content was
only 0.02 and not significant. Here, the implication would be that if Content was improved,
overall visitor satisfaction would also rise.

Table 5. Factor analysis of satisfaction with heritage site attributes.

Content Context Accessibility
Site maintenance 0.76
Scenery along the way 0.64
Cleanliness of the sites 0.74
Crowdedness 0.49
Authenticity of the sites 0.59
Information about the sites 0.42
Site interpretation/guiding service 0.62
Variety of exhibits and displays 0.74
Staff attitude 0.48
Resting areas 0.68
Uniqueness of souvenirs 0.68
Signage within the sites 0.77
Signposting to/from the sites 0.83
Accessibility to and from the sites 0.77
Eigenvalues 5.24 1.27 1.24
Cronbach’s alpha 0.79 0.78 0.81
Number of items 5 6 3
 296 F. Vong

Table 6. Regression of perception about Macao’s cultural heritage and site visit satisfaction factors.
Std beta
2
Adjusted r F Sig. Protection Promotion Interpretation
Satisfaction with heritage site visits
Content 0.15 14.65 0.000 0.022 0.17* 0.27**
Context 0.19 21.05 0.000 0.31** 0.06 0.16*
Accessibility 0.18 19.45 0.000 0.15* 0.24** 0.14*
*p < 0.05.
**p < 0.01.
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Regression analysis: perception of Macao’s heritage management and site visit

satisfaction
A regression analysis was performed to test the association between perceptions of Macao’s
heritage management and the three site visit satisfaction factors which were used as inde-
pendent variables.
Table 6 shows that the equations were all significant with adjusted r2 ranging from 0.15
to 0.19. Perceptions about interpretation and promotion were associated with Content
satisfaction; perceptions about protection and interpretation were associated with Context
satisfaction; and all three perception factors were associated with Accessibility satisfaction.
The findings show a fairly strong support for H2.
It should be noted that perception about whether Macao’s heritage was well-interpreted
was an important contributing factor to all three satisfaction factors. This, together with the
result from the previous regression test, indicated the importance of heritage interpretation
in affecting the perception of the destination’s cultural heritage and visitor experience.

Effect of site visit satisfaction on intention to revisit and recommend

Two regression equations were tested to discern the association between site visit satisfac-
tion and intention to revisit other heritage sites and recommend Macao’s heritage to others.
Contrary to expectations, although the equations were significant, the adjusted r2s were
relatively small, at 0.10 and 0.06, respectively (Table 7). Despite this limitation, satisfaction
with Context was significantly associated with both intentions, while satisfaction with
Accessibility was also significantly associated with the intention to recommend to others.
Surprisingly, satisfaction with Content was not significant in influencing future intention
to revisit other heritage sites and recommend to others. Perhaps, respondents felt it was
more important to have easy access to the sites and that the sites were well-maintained

Table 7. Regression of site visit satisfaction and intention to revisit and recommend.
Std beta
Adjusted r2 F Sig. Accessibility Context Content
Intention to
Return to visit other heritage 0.10 12.6 0.000 0.08 0.26** 0.03
sites
Recommend to others 0.06 9.3 0.000 0.15* 0.15* 0.01
*p < 0.05.
**p < 0.01.
 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 297

before even considering gaining knowledge and receiving good interpretation at the sites.
After all, the cohort of cultural tourists in the present analysis consisted of respondents with
varying intensity of cultural motive. Hence, Context and Accessibility might have become
the basic common denominator for future revisit and recommend intentions.
The low adjusted r2 for intention to revisit and recommend may also be due to the afore-
mentioned changing cultural motive of visitors over time. Although visitors in the present
trip had positive perception about Macao’s heritage and destination cultural image and were
satisfied with their heritage site visits, chances are they might wish to engage in other activi-
ties in subsequent visits. This phenomenon shall be discussed at greater length in the section
on implications.
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Changes in cultural motive over time

All respondents, regardless whether they belonged to the cultural or non-cultural cohort,
were asked how many sites they had visited in Macao so far. According to the number
of sites visited, they were categorized into four groups: (1) low visitation (1–6 sites); (2)
medium visitation (7–12 sites); (3) high visitation (13–18 sites) and (4) very high visitation
(19–25 sites). There was a significantly higher proportion of intensive cultural visitors (19–
25 sites), compared to other cohorts, who reported that they did not spend time visiting heri-
tage in Macao in the present trip (χ2 = 34.85; p < 0.001). Instead, this time they came for
business events and meetings (30.8%) and shopping (23.1%). They would have been
labelled cultural tourists if the study was conducted during their previous visits. For
those who had visited 13–18 sites before, their main motive for visiting this time was strol-
ling street (24.4%). Heritage had become their secondary motive (17.1%). It seems that
when tourists have exhausted the ‘culturalness’ of the destination, or as their revisit fre-
quency increases, their visit motive also changes. This implies that cultural motive could
change over time.
A cross-tabulation test revealed distinct patterns of participation in various tourist
activities by cultural and non-cultural tourists in the present trip (Table 8). Results indicated
that a higher proportion of non-cultural tourists, compared to cultural ones, had spent rela-
tively longer time in gambling and attending business events and meetings. A significantly
higher proportion of cultural tourists, on the other hand, had participated in a wider variety
of activities, except attending business events and meetings. They had spent relatively
longer time shopping, trying out local street food, restaurant cuisine and strolling along
the streets of Macao. Besides, they were also able to spend some time in gambling and
watching shows. This cohort seemed to have had a more comprehensive tourist experience
in Macao. Therefore, they might have been exposed to more information and first-hand

Table 8. Cultural and non-cultural tourists’ time spent on activities.

Non-cultural Cultural
Activities tourists (n = 119) tourists (n = 381) Chi-square Sig.
Shopping No Long 33.0 0.000
Street food No Long 48.3 0.000
Restaurant cuisine No Long 8.1 0.015
Gambling Long Short 13.4 0.001
Shows No Short 32.7 0.000
Business events and meetings Long No 31.2 0.000
Strolling street No Long 94.6 0.000
 298 F. Vong

experiences about interesting opportunities to participate in activities other than visiting

heritage in their subsequent visits to Macao.

Conclusion and implications

The study attempted to examine how perceptions of heritage management influenced
perception of a destination’s cultural image and satisfaction with visits to heritage sites.
The study also examined how satisfaction in turn affected the intention to revisit other heri-
tage sites in the destination and recommend them to others.
Perception about heritage interpretation was significantly associated with all three per-
ceptions of Macao’s destination cultural image: Macao’s cultural heritage can demonstrate
the history of cultural exchange, Macao has a depth of culture and that Macao’s history and
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culture is one of the reasons for visiting. The other two perception items about protection
and promotion were also found to be significantly associated with certain aspects of the des-
tination’s cultural image.
A principal components analysis of the site visit satisfaction items revealed a
three-factor matrix, consisting of Context, Accessibility and Content. Perceptions about
interpretation and promotion were associated with Content satisfaction; perceptions
about protection and interpretation were associated with Context satisfaction; and all
three perception factors were associated with Accessibility satisfaction.
Lastly, contrary to expectations, the associations between site visit satisfaction and
intention to revisit other heritage sites and recommend Macao’s heritage to others were
weak although satisfaction with Context was significantly associated with both intentions
while satisfaction with Accessibility was also significantly associated with the intention
to recommend to others.
To further enhance the perception about Macao’s heritage management, its destination
cultural image and visitor satisfaction with heritage sites, concerned departments may wish
to strengthen the interpretation and guiding services. This is because in two of the
regression analyses, perception about heritage interpretation was found to be an important
influential factor. However, 33% of the respondents could not comment on this service at
the sites. The Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau has taken the initiative to hire trained
interpreters from local heritage protection and promotion associations. It is hoped that
their service could contribute to a higher quality of interpretation, and in turn, a better per-
ception of the destination’s cultural image.
A rather interesting issue discovered in the study was whether the labels ‘cultural’
versus ‘non-cultural’ tourists remain stable over time. The present findings showed that
non-cultural tourists had been cultural tourists at a certain point in time and that the
purpose of visiting a destination and activities undertaken could differ in every trip.
Changes in cultural motives as such render complications to the definition of cultural
tourists. Perhaps, the ‘cultural tourist’ identity is a combination of several factors that
vary over time: state of mind and being at a certain point of a tourist’s journey of explora-
tion, the cultural appeal of the destination in question, the number of times having visited
that destination and the changing purpose of each visit. Hence, a person could be a cultural-
centric tourist for the first time, a gastronomy-centric tourist the second time and a business-
centric tourist the third time to the same destination. This is in line with Ryan and Aicken’s
(2010) discussion that places are multiple products perceived differently by various market
segments and are perceived differently over time, both by first-time and repeat visitors.
Assaker, Vinzi, and O’Connor (2011) further suggested that novelty seekers were a cat-
egory of travellers who required destination managers to develop and advertise new
 Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change 299

features to ensure long-term attraction and encourage such travellers to return to their des-
tination. The fact that site visit satisfaction in the present study had a weak explanatory
power for intention to revisit Macao’s other heritage sites and recommend its heritage to
others lends support to previous research suggesting that although customer satisfaction
leads to greater loyalty and return visits, it may not be enough to explain revisit intention
(Mittal & Lasar, 1998).
Thinking along this line, another interesting implication is that we could extend the
concept of cultural tourist typology to other tourist activities, for example, gastronomy,
gaming and shopping. By borrowing from McKercher and du Cros’ (2003) tourist typol-
ogy, one could describe a tourist as a purposeful gastronomy tourist, casual gaming
tourist or serendipitous shopping tourist in the same visit, based on different degrees of
motive and actual consumption/experience of the tourist product in question. To complicate
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matters further, the whole typology combination may change in the second visit, with
varying priorities in visit motive and depth of experience. For lack of a better term, one
could, for the time being, label tourists seeking a variety of experiences at different
depths in different trips to the same destination ‘super tourists’. ‘Super tourists’ are frequent
visitors to a destination and tend to engage in a wide range of tourist activity there with a
different primary focus every time. They could easily become guides to accompanying
friends and relatives who are new to the destination. Their word of mouth or recommen-
dations would be perceived as much more trustworthy than other sources of tourist infor-
mation. An implication for national tourism administration agencies and research
institutions is to find ways to identify these ‘super tourists’ and obtain from them honest
evaluations of strengths and weaknesses at both the destination and product levels, as
well as suggestions of potential tourism resources that could be developed, and how to
stage a comprehensive and satisfactory tourist experience.
The marketing implication of the above discussion is that it becomes important to entice
tourists to a wide range of activities in a destination with the hope of generating revisits.
Developing cultural tourism requires effort. Culture can be a primary or secondary travel-
ling motive (Rudan, 2010). Hausmann (2007) reminded that not all cultural tourists were
motivated fundamentally by learning experiential or self-exploration reasons. Rather,
motivations could vary from ‘highly motivated’ to ‘less motivated’ (Silberberg, 1995).
As a consequence, researchers argued that different kinds of marketing activities would
be required to target different types of cultural tourists. Some strategies used by destination
marketers are to stage different themes, festivals and events throughout the holiday calen-
dar. Different partnerships could be formed. Hausmann (2007) identified three types of part-
nerships and possible service package arrangements. The first and most common type is
between cultural products of the same kind. Examples are museums partnering with
other museums and historic sites with other historic sites. A second form of cooperation
involves cultural products of different types. For example, a museum, castle and monastery
offer a package together with a historic centre. The third kind of partnership is between cul-
tural and non-cultural tourism products, such as hotels, resorts, retail areas, sports and
outdoor activities. Furthermore, Hausmann (2007) observed that the demand for short
trips was still growing and people would attempt to pack more activities into more frequent,
but shorter trips. Hence, packaged arrangements with a combination of cultural and non-
cultural products would be highly appealing to them.
In the case of Macao, special events such as Macao Music Festival in October, Macao
Food Festival and Grand Prix in November and Shopping Festival in December are a few
attempts, among others, to attract different types of tourists or appeal to the same type of
tourists who have different priorities in subsequent visits.
 300 F. Vong

Lastly, satisfaction with different tourist experiences, besides cultural and heritage site
visits, should be assessed in order to design a comprehensive tourist experience and satis-
faction matrix. Such a matrix could help identify key tourism products or services that con-
tribute most to shaping positive image of the destination as well as areas needing
improvement.

Limitation
The sample consisted of a large proportion of Chinese respondents which is characteristic of
the current tourist composition of Macao. This may compromise the generalizability of the
findings. Future research should consider including more international visitors and conduct-
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ing the research in other case settings to verify the results.

The study did not ask why the non-cultural tourists who were once cultural tourists to
Macao did not visit the city’s heritage sites in the present trip. Future research could explore
possible reasons such as unsatisfactory prior visit experiences or change in travel motive,
among others. This information could help to devise strategies to attract repeat cultural
tourists.

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