Experiencing Authenticity at Heritage Sporting Events

This research examined the relationships between the perceived authenticity of a heritage sporting
event, positive emotions, cross-cultural understanding, and word-of-mouth intention of international
tourists. The stimulus–organism–response theory and the broaden-and-build theory informed the
model. Study 1 employed an online survey with 156 international fans of Sumo to assess the reliabil-
ity of the measures. In Study 2, structural equation modeling was conducted using an on-site survey of
272 international tourists attending Sumo events in Tokyo. Results showed that perceived authenticity
positively influenced positive emotions, which in turn significantly affected word-of-mouth intention
and cross-cultural understanding. These findings revealed the importance of perceived authenticity
in shaping tourists’ experiences and cultural capital acquisition, an area not previously explored. The
results highlighted the role of cognitive and psychological states in developing tourists’ cultural capital
through event participation. For practitioners, this study highlighted the potential of heritage sporting
events as a tourism resource, promoting traditional sports and destination marketing.