The Contribution of Animal-Based Cultural Ecosystem Services to Tourist Well-Being at Cultural Heritage Sites

Abstract

This article explores the contribution of animal-based cultural ecosystem services to tourist well-being within the authentic cultural heritage experience. We assess the construction of tourists’ cultural ecosystem services through their cocreation of animal-based experience and its integrative direct links with objective authenticity, existential authenticity, and well-being. The objective is to provide empirical evidence of the cross-category tourist experiences of interactions with animals at cultural heritage sites within the context of those with the cats of the Forbidden City, China. Building on this relationship model, the study further examines and identifies the significant and important parallel mediation effects on the relationship between the cocreation experience and the well-being of the three combinations of (a) attention and objective authenticity, (b) involvement and existential authenticity, and (c) cultural ecosystem service and memorability. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided along with a discussion of research limitations and suggestions for future study.