An empirical application of the consumer-based authenticity model in heritage tourism of the George Town historic district, Penang, Malaysia

A study applying the Consumer-based Model of Authenticity (C-BA) to George Town's historic district reveals that authenticity significantly influences tourists' revisit intentions, with object-based and existential authenticity mediating relationships between involvement/satisfaction and place attachment/satisfaction. Using structural equation modeling on 394 samples, researchers found that preserving objective authenticity and enhancing activity experiences are critical for stakeholders aiming to boost tourist satisfaction and repeat visits.

Zhao, S., Marzuki, A., Rong, W., & Ran, X. (2024). An empirical application of the consumer-based authenticity model in heritage tourism of the George Town historic district, Penang, Malaysia. Heliyon, 10(18), e38254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38254