Decoding the “Resource Curse” of Cultural Tourism: A Mixed-Methods Study in Fuzhou, China

ABSTRACT: Many culturally endowed destinations paradoxically underperform in tourist experience quality—a phenomenon analogous to the “resource curse” in economics. This study investigates this paradox in Fuzhou, a Chinese historic city rich in cultural and ecological assets yet struggling with low destination brand recognition and experience conversion. Employing a mixed-methods design, we collected three complementary datasets: a survey of 549 micro-vacation tourists, 1,842 consumption redemption records from scenic attractions, and 12,743 social media user-generated content (UGC) posts across five major platforms. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a four-dimensional scene value perception framework (functional, emotional, social, cognitive). K-means clustering identified four tourist segments: Hedonic Seekers (26.5%), Connected Explorers (29.4%), Solitary Escapists (13.9%), and Pragmatic Tourists (30.3%). Behavioral redemption data validated these segments: value-congruent packages achieved 77.7% redemption versus 51.2% for mismatched offerings (Δ = 26.5 percentage points, p < .001). UGC analysis revealed platform-specific value ecosystems—Douyin content was predominantly emotional (43.5%), Bilibili cognitive (55.8%), and Weibo social (45.1%)—significantly associated with platform type (χ² = 2912.89, p < .001). The triangulation of attitudinal, behavioral, and digital trace data provides robust evidence for value-based segmentation in micro-vacation markets, offering both theoretical advancement and actionable strategies for destination managers.

KEYWORDS: resource curse; micro-vacation; scene value perception; tourist segmentation; mixed-methods; social media UGC