How does tourism image affect visitor perceptions of a festival's identity? Influence analysis of three aboriginal festivals in Taiwan

This paper evaluates a theoretical model of tourism image, authentic experience, and festival identity for visitors at aboriginal festivals in Taiwan. Totally, 1315 useful responses were obtained for analysis. Cognitive image significantly impacted both object-based and existential authenticity for visitors at all three aboriginal festivals. Affective image significantly impacted both object-based and existential authenticity only for visitors at the Yami Flying Fish aboriginal festival. Conative image significantly impacted both object-based and existential authenticity for visitors at all three aboriginal festivals. Both object-based and existential authenticity significantly impacted festival identity for visitors at all three aboriginal festivals. The findings extend our knowledge of the “tourism image – authentic experience – festival identity” theoretical framework to visitors of traditional cultural festivals. Managers should design activities to provide visitors with opportunities to interact with aboriginal people to enrich visitors’ positive authentic experience. This interaction, in turn, will help visitors understand aboriginal culture and aboriginal identity.