The Influence of Place Attachment and Nostalgic Proneness on Tourist Well-being: Evidence from Cultural Heritage Destinations in Taiwan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e294557Keywords:
Place Dependence, Place Identity, Nostalgic Proneness, Tourist Well-being, Sanxia Old Street, TaiwanAbstract
Background and Aims: Heritage tourism enhances cultural continuity and psychological well-being, yet most prior studies emphasize tourists’ behavioral intentions rather than their deeper psychological outcomes. This study addresses this gap by investigating how place attachment dimensions—place dependence and place identity—together with nostalgic proneness—affect tourists’ well-being at Sanxia Old Street, Taiwan.
Methodology: A quantitative survey was conducted with 386 domestic tourists visiting Sanxia Old Street, Taiwan. Data collected via a structured questionnaire (five-point Likert scale) were analyzed using SPSS 30 through descriptive, correlation, and multiple regression analyses to test hypothesized relationships among variables.
Results: Findings show that all three constructs significantly and positively influenced tourists’ well-being, with place dependence emerging as the strongest predictor (β = .681, p < .001). The regression model explained 75.6% of the variance in well-being (R² = .756), confirming that both functional and emotional attachments, along with nostalgic feelings, play essential roles in enhancing tourists’ psychological outcomes.
Conclusion: Functional usability, emotional connection, and nostalgic engagement are key contributors to tourist well-being in heritage contexts. Heritage managers can apply these insights by enhancing accessibility, preserving authenticity, and designing memory-based experiences to create more meaningful and restorative visits that sustain the cultural value of heritage tourism in Taiwan.
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