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Awe: An Important Emotional Experience in Sustainable Tourism

Author

Listed:
  • Dong Lu

    (School of Business, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China)

  • Yide Liu

    (School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa 999078, Macau)

  • Ivan Lai

    (Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Avenida Padre Tomás Pereira, Taipa 999078, Macau)

  • Li Yang

    (School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China)

Abstract

“Awesome” is one of the most highly desirable experiences for tourists. This study investigates how tourists’ awe emotion is induced when tourists visit sacred mountains and how the awe experience influences their satisfaction. A survey is administrated at a famous sacred mountain in China—Mount Emei. Results reveal that the awe experience is more elicited by the perceived vastness of natural environment for secular tourists, while is more encouraged by the perceived sanctity of religious ambience for pilgrim tourists. Awe experience is a mediator between the sense of perceptual vastness/sanctity and tourists’ satisfaction. The mediation relationships through awe experience are moderated by the visitor types (pilgrims and secular tourists). Findings suggest that destination marketers should apply tourism strategies to encourage tourists’ sense of awe.

Suggested Citation

  • Dong Lu & Yide Liu & Ivan Lai & Li Yang, 2017. "Awe: An Important Emotional Experience in Sustainable Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-15, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:12:p:2189-:d:120485
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    4. Xinwei Su & Xi Li & Yingchuang Wang & Zhiming Zheng & Yuanshui Huang, 2020. "Awe of Intangible Cultural Heritage: The Perspective of ICH Tourists," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(3), pages 21582440209, July.
    5. Angelo Belliggiano & Letizia Bindi & Corrado Ievoli, 2021. "Walking along the Sheeptrack…Rural Tourism, Ecomuseums, and Bio-Cultural Heritage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    6. Thomas Dax & Dachang Zhang & Yanying Chen, 2019. "Agritourism Initiatives in the Context of Continuous Out-Migration: Comparative Perspectives for the Alps and Chinese Mountain Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
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    8. Yan Yang & Jing Hu & Fengjie Jing & Bang Nguyen, 2018. "From Awe to Ecological Behavior: The Mediating Role of Connectedness to Nature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    9. Dimitris Tsafoutis & Theodore Metaxas, 2021. "Fishing Tourism in Greece: Defining Possibilities and Prospects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-20, December.
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