Beyond the stage: how performing arts tourism shapes tourist perceptions and destination image

Purpose – This study works on inferring relationships among motivational factors, service concepts, perceived value, tourist satisfaction and the destination image of performing arts tourism. The study aims to establish the interconnectedness of these variables in understanding the mechanisms shaping the perceptions and behaviour that impact performing arts experiences for tourists. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from 479 tourists attending performing arts in Dhofar as an Omani tourism destination, with personal experiences evaluating these performances. Findings – Motivational factors, especially social engagement, were proven to affect perceived value positively. Other studies had prior findings, emphasising the importance of social relationships in driving consumer loyalty and satisfaction. Of the other motivating factors, social interaction and knowledge gain, they found no significant effect, contradicting theories in literature. Supplementary and core service concepts had positive assets regarding the perceived value, revealing both these ideas’ roles in shaping tourists’ perceptions and experiences. Practical implications – Creating greater immersion into the performing arts experience by social engagement and fitting service concepts to what a tourist would prefer would give a more stimulating event for them that would entertain, inform and engage tourists, but furthermore, positively build the image of the destination. Originality/value – This study installs a venture wherein cultural consumption theory (CCT), SERVQUAL and expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) come together into a big framework for performing arts tourism. It is not just a mechanical combination, but rather it explores CCT’s idea of intrinsic tourist motivations, adapting SERVQUAL to serve the ephemeral service experiences of live performances and applies ECT to link expectation confirmation to cognitive and affective destination images. This study bridges some considerable gaps in previous research to explore the impacts of motivations, service perceptions and satisfaction on destination image, painting a more nuanced understanding of how performing arts tourism fits in sustainable tourism and destination branding, particularly in Dhofar.