Continuous impact of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games on residents’ cognition of ice-snow tourism: an moderated mediation model

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games (BWOG) have catalysed the growth of ice-snow tourism (IST) in China, but the specific impact path remains uncertain. This study employs the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) Model as a framework to scrutinise the continuous impact of the BWOG on Chinese residents' cognition of IST. Using 708 questionnaires from Chinese residents, a relationship model is proposed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and is corroborated by grounded theory, through the analysis of Weibo comments on IST during the first anniversary of the BWOG. The findings indicate a positive correlation between event intensity of the Winter Olympics and travel intention for IST. Furthermore, the perceived utility of IST plays a pivotal mediating role between event intensity and travel intention. Interestingly, event involvement exhibits a negative moderating role, signifying that individuals with low involvement perceive the utility of IST more profoundly. This study, based on these insights, constructs a mechanism to elucidate the impact of mega-sport event tourism effects.