The Influence of Cross-Cultural Awareness and Tourist Experience on Authenticity, Tourist Satisfaction and Acculturation in World Cultural Heritage Sites of Korea

This study aimed to identify the relationship among the following factors: cross-cultural awareness, tourist experience, authenticity, tourist satisfaction, and acculturation. It also sought to determine what role that tourist activities play in acculturation. Furthermore, this study looked to provide a feasibility plan for the effective management, protection, and sustainable development of World Cultural Heritage Sites. We chose Chinese in Korea (immigrants, workers, and international students) who visited the historic villages of Korea (Hahoe and Yangdong) as the research object, and used 430 questionnaires for analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model were used to verify proposed hypotheses. The results showed that (1) Chinese in Korea, who have higher cultural awareness, had more interests in objective authenticity (e. g., historical traditions, cultural heritage, and architecture) of world heritage sites; (2) Chinese in Korea could feel and appreciate the true value of traditional culture through tourist experience; (3) The objective authenticity and existential authenticity have a positive effect on tourist satisfaction; and, (4) Higher tourist satisfaction could effectively promote cultural integration and assimilation, and prevent cultural separation and marginalization.