Perception and gaze of diaspora: Analysis of affective, cognitive, & cultural factors in tourism

This research focuses on exploring the cognitive and affective perception of Hokkien ethnic Chinese born abroad visiting their hometown, Quanzhou, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The study examines the interplay between the collective gaze, affective, and cognitive perception of diaspora visitors who visit Quanzhou to reclaim their cultural identity and explore new opportunities. The analysis was conducted using a combination of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis and natural language processing techniques for sentiment analysis, based on 44 tourist interviews and 10 local key informant interviews. The results suggest that the primary image formed after the visit has a significant effect on the affective image and the affective attribute has a significant impact on the collective gaze and overall perceived image of diaspora visitors. These findings have important implications for destination image marketing and the sustainability of diaspora tourism.