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Visitor Motivation and Experience with an Imitation Destination: Kobe Chinatown

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  • Bình Nghiêm-Phú

    (School of Economics and Management, University of Hyogo, 8-2-1 Gakuen-Nishimachi, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2197, Hyogo, Japan)

Abstract

Visitor motivation and experience are essential concepts for both tourism researchers and practitioners. However, there is a structural difference between motivation and experience. How visitor motivation and experience interact and influence visitor satisfaction remains unknown. This study addressed these topics by investigating visitors to Kobe Chinatown, an imitation tourist spot in East Japan. The study collected the answers from 210 online and onsite participants via a structured questionnaire (April–November 2024). The outcomes showed that one motivation factor (interpersonal seeking) was significantly associated with two experience factors (cognitive: β = 0.279, p = 0.003 and affective: β = 0.660, p = 0.000); however, the prior literature review of research on imitation destinations suggested that two other motivation factors (personal escaping and personal seeking) would also be present in the association. In addition, this study also identified that both experience factors significantly predicted visitor satisfaction (cognitive: β = 0.482, p = 0.000 and affective: β = 0.340, p = 0.005) while motivation did not. The issue with the conceptualization of motivation and the essentiality of experience was discussed based on these observations. Implications for sustaining and promoting imitation destinations were also generated.

Suggested Citation

  • Bình Nghiêm-Phú, 2025. "Visitor Motivation and Experience with an Imitation Destination: Kobe Chinatown," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:6032-:d:1692225
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ali, Murad, 2021. "Imitation or innovation: To what extent do exploitative learning and exploratory learning foster imitation strategy and innovation strategy for sustained competitive advantage?✰," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    2. Veronique Cova & Bernard Cova, 2019. "Experience copycats: the Compostela case," Post-Print hal-02062185, HAL.
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