Bound for or Bound by the March Tide: Assessing the Impacts of Literary Tourism-Exacerbated Seasonality on Cultural Destinations

This study zeros in on the research subject of seasonality that is exacerbated by literary tourism at cultural heritage destinations, a nascent yet pivotal niche yet largely under-researched by far. Informed by the Difference-in-Differences (DID) algorithm, a comprehensive econometric model is proposed and utilized to explore and assess the seasonality of concentrated visitations in March and April bound for the Chinese heritage destination of Yangzhou, all mobilized by a pithy yet riveting classical line from China’s most prestigious romantic poet in the Tang Dynasty. Modeling results coupled with cross-examinations with a placebo sample reveal the exceedingly pronounced literary tourism-exacerbated seasonality at the destination as well as its reverberations. Besides, it is highlighted by the research findings that the excessive growths wielded by the evoked seasonality have tempered with and eclipsed the natural uptick of local tourism development in an over drafting fashion, posing salient challenges to realization of sustainable objectives of the destination. This study embarks on some of the first steps toward understanding the mechanism and repercussions of seasonality at cultural destinations, and offers corresponding marketing and managerial implications.