Influence of Cultural Tourism on Destination Loyalty Mediation of Cultural Distance with Reference to Foreign Tourists

Cultural tourism has emerged as a vital component of the global tourism sector, characterized by visitors seeking immersive experiences in destinations' tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Additionally, cultural distance, the cultural variation between tourists' homes and host countries, has been identified as a significant matter that reshapes visitor behaviour, motivation, and satisfaction levels. Recent studies have clearly identified the empirical and practical gaps related to cultural tourism and cultural distance, highlighting the different segments of tourism as a business scope and the impact on tourist loyalty behaviour. Sri Lanka demonstrates a destination where cultural tourism has become a cornerstone of the national economy. The economic impact of tourism in Sri Lanka is substantial, as evidenced by its national-level statistics covering its contribution to the economy, regional competitiveness, country branding strategies, and issues related to immediate stakeholders. Having said that, this study employed a deductive approach to conceptualize the variable connection, and a quantitative research strategy was applied to examine how cultural tourism impacts the destination loyalty behaviour of foreign tourists, while also investigating the mediating role of cultural distance. Accordingly,   data were collected through a survey administered to 230 foreign tourists visiting various cultural attractions in Sri Lanka, resulting in 164 valid responses. The survey measured three  primary constructs: cultural tourism, cultural distance, and destination loyalty. The collected data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25, utilizing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis. The findings revealed a strong positive relationship between cultural tourism and destination loyalty (β = 0.770), indicating that high-quality cultural tourism significantly enhances tourists' loyalty to Sri Lanka. Additionally, cultural tourism was found to have a significant but weaker positive influence on cultural distance (β = 0.225). Cultural distance also positively affected destination loyalty (β = 0.251), suggesting that perceived cultural differences can enhance the uniqueness and authenticity of the tourist experience, thereby fostering loyalty. This study confirms all four hypotheses: cultural tourism, cultural distance, and destination loyalty. The paper presents managerial implications with reference to tourism sector strategies and the roles of its stakeholders.