Exploring the Interplay Between Memorable Tourism Experience, Place Attachment, and Revisit Intention: Insights From a UNESCO Site in Vietnam

Despite the growing interest in memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) and their behavioral outcomes,limited research has examined how MTEs influence place attachment and revisit intention within theUNESCO heritage tourism context, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to addressthis gap by investigating the structural relationships among MTEs, place attachment, and revisit intentionin Hoi An, Vietnam, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Grounded in cognitive appraisal theory andmemory-dominant logic, the study applies Kim’s MTE framework, conceptualizing both MTEs andplace attachment as unified constructs. A quantitative approach was employed, with data from 234tourists analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results demonstrate that MTEssignificantly enhance both place attachment and revisit intention. Place attachment not only positivelyinfluences revisit intention but also partially mediates the relationship between MTEs and revisit intention.These findings validate the cross-cultural applicability of Kim’s MTE model and emphasize itsrelevance within heritage tourism contexts. This study also enriches the tourism literature by offeringempirical insights from a Southeast Asian heritage context and advancing understanding of how memorableexperiences influence tourists’ loyalty in underresearched regions. From a practical perspective,the findings underline the importance of destination managers and policymakers in designing memorableheritage experiences that foster place attachment and sustainable revisit behaviors.