Q2. What are the future works in this paper?
This represents a limitation of this study but also opens further avenues for future research. Thirdly, future research might also examine whether the strength of the preconceived notions is reflected at different stages of the conceptual model, each of which must be managed to strengthen tourism sites ’ brand equity. Therefore, the authors would like to invite future research, applying and extending this model in other research settings and countries Further study of authenticity and engagement may require a combination of several methodological approaches e. g., in-depth interviews with visitors and managers.
Q3. What is the role of serious leisure in influencing visitor authenticity?
the authors found heritage related behaviors to have a positive influence on visitor loyalty, implying consumers motivated to visit a site for heritage consumption have the propensity to become loyal, repeat, and protective visitors.
Q4. What is the value attached to ‘aestheticization’ in Japanese culture?
There is a value attached to ‘aestheticization’ in Japanese culture, which may be receptive to manipulation of atmosphere to suit state and corporate driven collective social norms.
Q5. Why did the authors follow the panel rating approach for each questionnaire item?
Due to the potential violation of face validity, the authors followed the panel rating approach for each questionnaire item as either ‘very representative’, ‘moderately representative’, or ‘not at all representative’ of the respective constructs.
Q6. What is the role of object-based authenticity in Japanese tourism?
The authors expected existential rather than object-based authenticity to display a stronger relationship to heritage related behaviors, attributed to the Japanese context and the comparative physical newness of many touristic offerings (Jimura, 2011).
Q7. What are the dimensions of authenticity that vary across cultures?
Visitors’ object-based authenticity, existential authenticity and engagement evaluation may also vary across cultures so it would be relevant to examine the dimensions that are shared among different cultural and national groups.
Q8. What is the role of serious leisure in influencing visitors’ perception of authentic Japanese offerings?
Suggesting the Japanese site visitor is willing to make some degree of sacrifice in order to satisfy their quest for authentic offerings, intimating consumers’ perception of Japanese object-based authenticity is not diminished by the absence of ‘original’ unaltered sites.
Q9. What time period did the data mainly be collected?
Data was mainly gathered during weekends and the Japanese holiday period when a proportionally higher number of University and College students visit tourist sites.
Q10. What is the relationship between object-based authenticity and visitor loyalty?
The positive relationship between visitor engagement and visitor loyalty suggests engaged visitors have a higher propensity to be committed, emotionally connected, and even devoted to a site, thereby eliciting loyalty.
Q11. What is the effect of cultural motivation on visitor loyalty?
In line with Kolar and Zabkar’s (2010) findings, the authors found that cultural motivation had a very strong positive influence on object-based authenticity, but in the context of Japanese consumers.
Q12. What is the relationship between self-connection and engagement?
(4) Self-connection was positively linked to engagement; therefore, tourism planners and managers could encourage and facilitate self-connection between tourist sites and visiting consumers to enhance levels of engagement.
Q13. What is the effect of cultural motivation on visitor engagement?
Reflecting upon this, the findings demonstrate that cultural motivation has a very strong, positive influence on visitor engagement in the sense that this abstract understanding of object-based authenticity does not act as a barrier to visitor loyalty but actually may enhance levels of visitor engagement (Dwayne & Tasaki, 1992).
Q14. What is the effect of existential authenticity on visitor loyalty?
Existential authenticity has a strong positive influence upon visitorloyalty***p<0.001; **p<0.01; *p<0.055.0 Discussion and implications