01503nas a2200145   4500000000100000008004100001100001100042700001700053700001100070700001500081245008100096490000700177520115900184022001401343                                       d1 aQi Yan1 aHuawen James1 aWu Xin1 aHaobin Ben00aExamining the ritualized experiences of intangible cultural heritage tourism0 v313 aThis study systematically conceptualizes and evaluates the dimensionality of ritualized experiences in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism, a nascent and galvanizing product genre that has received scant research attention. It also investigates the interrelationships among ritualized ICH tourism experiences and other key subtle constructs of subjective vitality, self-congruity, and engagement, which are integral to the affective outcomes of cultural tourists yet under-researched in heritage settings. Structural equation modeling (SEM) of data from 357 attendees of a local fair in the heritage-rich Chinese destination of Suzhou confirmed the four-factor dimensionality of ritualized ICH tourism experiences: uniqueness, commitment, ceremoniality, and non functionality. The mediating role played by self-congruity in the positive relationship between ritualized experiences and attendant engagement is also verified. This study adds to the extant research by enriching knowledge on rituality in heritage destination contexts and offering practical references for leveraging the economic and sociocultural values of the destination at large.  a2212-571X