Revealing the Pattern of Causality in Tourist Experience and Perception of Sacredness in Shamanic Heritage Destinations: Evidence from Northeast China

Abstract

Abstract With the growth of cultural route tourism and the transformation and upgrading of the needs and preferences of major consumer groups, maintaining and highlighting the sanctity of religious heritage tourism destinations is one of the key factors affecting the appeal of cultural tourism. The purpose of this study is to clarify the causal association rules between tourists’ tourism experience characteristics/attributes and destination sacredness perceptions, and then explore resource development and place-making strategies in religious tourism destinations with the goal of continuously enhancing local sacredness. This study collected 374 tourist questionnaire data, and applied rough set theory (RSA) and decision-making laboratory analysis method (DEMATEL) to conduct data exploration and analysis. The results of this study highlight the impact of architectural and landscape features of shamanic religious tourism destinations on tourists’ perceptions of sacredness. In addition, tourists' interpretation and participation are also important condition attributes. The results of this study will provide a key theoretical foundation for subsequent research. For the empirical cases in this study, this study provides a key decision-making reference for local culture and tourism management departments to enhance the destination's cultural tourism attraction and sustainability.