Enhancing tourist engagement in Emei martial arts tourism: Examining activities, destination image, and orientalism

Mount Emei, as one of the representatives of world natural and cultural heritage sites, boasts a rich cultural heritage and a long history in martial arts development. The rise of martial arts tourism has opened new opportunities for Mount Emei's tourism market. This study aims to advance the development of martial arts tourism at Mount Emei by exploring the relationships between martial arts tourism activities, destination image, orientalism, and tourists' engagement in Emei martial arts tourism. Additionally, it investigates the mediating roles of destination image and orientalism. The research employed both online and offline surveys, collecting data from 568 tourists with experience in martial arts tourism at Mount Emei and analyzing the data using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that martial arts tourism activities positively affect destination image, orientalism, and tourist engagement. Furthermore, destination image and orientalism also positively influence tourist engagement and play significant mediating roles. Supplementary analyses further showed significant differences across levels of visitation frequency and familiarity. The study emphasizes that the development of Emei martial arts tourism should enrich martial arts cultural activities and enhance the quality and convenience of tourism facilities.