Can film tourism experience enhance tourist behavioural intentions? The role of tourist engagement

The development of film and television entertainment and overseas travel has stimulated the rapid growth of global film tourism. Although film tourism has been the focus of extensive research, few studies have explored the role of tourist engagement in film tourism experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among film tourism experiences, tourist engagement, and behavioural intentions. Structural equation modelling of survey data from 403 film tourists revealed that film tourism experiences increased tourist engagement, which in turn positively influenced behavioural intentions. In addition, tourist engagement mediated the relationship between film tourism experiences and behavioural intentions. This study focused on tourism psychology and film tourist behaviour it contributes to the literature by uncovering the mediating role of tourist engagement in the relationship between film tourism experiences and behavioural intentions. The findings can help managers of film tourism destinations arrange onsite environments and plan relevant activities. In addition, these findings serve as a reference for the design and packaging of film tourism products. Further research is warranted to determine whether these relationships are influenced by contingent factors (e.g. geographical and cultural proximity).