Creative process and creative environment: impact on experience quality and behavioural intentions in creative tourism services
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2025.20440Abstract
This research investigates the intricate relationships between creativity process and environment, experience quality, and behavioural intentions within the unique context of creative tourism service providers. Sustainable issues related to cultural tourism especially in relation to the preservation and conservation of national heritage has fuelled the need to rebrand some tourists’ hotspots in Malaysia as a creative destination. However, service providers in this domain struggles to retain their customers, necessitating the exploration of effective marketing strategies based on their creative resources. Drawing from a comprehensive dataset of 500 respondents, obtained through purposive sampling, this study investigates the interplay among these factors and their ultimate impact on tourist’s intentions in the creative tourism industry. Employing partial least squares structural equation modelling, the study reveals that creativity, manifested through creative behaviour and innovative ideas, significantly influences the experience quality offered to tourists. Furthermore, this study underscores the essential role of physical and social environments in nurturing creativity and shaping experience quality. Experience quality emerges as a critical mediator in this intricate web of relationships, bridging the gap between creativity and behavioural intentions. The findings offer guidance to creative tourism service providers in enhancing their offerings, optimising physical and social environments, and elevating the experience quality they deliver. These insights are expected to not only benefit the industry but also contribute to a broader understanding of the intricate interplay between creativity, experience quality, and behavioural intentions in the realm of creative tourism.
Keywords:
behavioural intentions, creative environment, creative process, creative tourism, experience qualityHow to Cite
Share
License
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Ai Ching Lim, E., Lee, Y. H., & Foo, M.-D. (2017). Frontline employees’ nonverbal cues in service encounters: A double-edged sword. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45, 657–676. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0479-4
Aisyah, S. (2023). Implications of planning and management for the development of sustainable cultural heritage tourism in Malaysia. Advances in Tourism Studies, 1(2), 65–71. https://doi.org/10.47492/ats.v1i2.18
Ali, F., Kim, W. G., Li, J., & Jeon, H.-M. (2018). Make it delightful: Customers’ experience, satisfaction and loyalty in Malaysian theme parks. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 7, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2016.05.003
Bakas, F. E., Duxbury, N., Silva, S., & Vinagre de Castro, T. (2020). Connecting to place through creative tourism. In S. Moreira Cabeça, A. Rodrigues Gonçalves, J. F. Marques, & M. Tavares (Eds.), Creative tourism dynamics: Connecting travellers, communities, cultures and places (pp. 119–130). Grácio Editor.
Ball, L. J., & Christensen, B. T. (2020). How sticky notes support cognitive and socio-cognitive processes in the generation and exploration of creative ideas. In B. T. Christensen, K. Halskov, & C. M. Klokmose (Eds.), Explorations in creativity research. Sticky creativity: Post-It® note cognition, computers, and design (pp. 19–51). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816566-9.00002-1
Borneo Post Online. (2022). The making of a “City of Gastronomy”. https://www.theborneopost.com/2022/03/20/the-making-of-a-city-of-gastronomy/
Carvalho, M., Kastenholz, E., João Carneiro, M., & Souza, L. (2023a). Co-creation of food tourism experiences: Tourists’ perspectives of a Lisbon food tour. Tourist Studies, 23(2), 128–148. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687976231168941
Carvalho, R., Costa, C., & Ferreira, A. (2023b). Creative tourism consumption: Framing the creative habitus through a Bourdieusian lens. Sustainability, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032281
Chin, W. W. (2010). How to write up and report PLS analyses. In V. E. Vinzi, W. W. Chin, J. Henseler, & H. Wang (Eds.), Springer handbooks of computational statistics. Handbook of partial least squares: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 655–690). J. E. Gentle, W. K. Härdle, & Y. Mori (Series Eds.). Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32827-8_29
Chua, B.-L., Lee, S., Kim, H.-Ch., & Han, H. (2017). Investigation of cruise vacationers’ behavioral intention formation in the fast-growing cruise industry: The moderating impact of gender and age. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 25(1), 51–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766717750419
Dias, Á., González-Rodríguez, M. R., & Patuleia, M. (2023). Creative tourism destination competitiveness: An integrative model and agenda for future research. Creative Industries Journal, 16(2), 180–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/17510694.2021.1980672
Dimitrovski, D., & Crespi Vallbona, M. (2018). Urban food markets in the context of a tourist attraction – La Boqueria market in Barcelona, Spain. Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment, 20(3), 397–417. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2017.1399438
Füller, J., Hutter, K., & Faullant, R. (2011). Why co-creation experience matters? Creative experience and its impact on the quantity and quality of creative contributions. R&D Management, 41(3), 259–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9310.2011.00640.x
Gkantona, G. (2019). Creating space for happiness to emerge: The processes of emotional change in the dialogical stage model. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 47(2), 190–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2018.1478059
Gupta, V., & Singh, Sh. (2014). Leadership and creative performance behaviors in R&D laboratories: Examining the mediating role of justice perceptions. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 22(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051813517002
Hair, J. F., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Black, W. C. (2018). Multivariate data analysis. Cengage.
Hashim, Md A., Syed Aris, Sh. R., & Fook, Ch. Y. (2022). Assessing gender differences in creative self-efficacy, creative ability and creative environment dimensions among lower secondary school students in Selangor, Malaysia. Asian Journal of University Education, 18(4), 879–892.
Henseler, J., Ringle, Ch. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Huang, Y., Ferreira, F. A. F., & He, Zh. (2023). Impact of workspace environment on creativity and innovation: Empirical evidence from a makerspace in China. R&D Management, 53(4), 620–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12504
Jain, V., Wirtz, J., Salunke, P., Nunkoo, R., & Sharma, A. (2023). Luxury hospitality: A systematic literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103597
Juliana, J., Sianipar, R., Lemy, D. M., Pramezwary, A., Pramono, R., & Djakasaputra, A. (2023). Factors influencing visitor satisfaction and revisit intention in lombok tourism: The role of holistic experience, experience quality, and vivid memory. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 18(8), 2503–2511. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.180821
Kantosalo, A., & Riihiaho, S. (2019). Quantifying co-creative writing experiences. Digital Creativity, 30(1), 23–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2019.1575243
Karwowski, M., & Beghetto, R. A. (2019). Creative behavior as agentic action. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 13(4), 402–415. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000190
Kawakubo, A., & Oguchi, T. (2019). Recovery experiences during vacations promote life satisfaction through creative behavior. Tourism Management Perspectives, 30, 240–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2019.02.017
Khoo, S. L., & Shu Fun Chang, N. (2021). Creative city as an urban development strategy: The case of selected Malaysian cities. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1291-6
Liu, Ch.-H. S., & Huang, Y.-Ch. (2020). The influence of transformational leadership on subordinate creative behaviour development process. Tourism Management Perspectives, 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100742
Lu, W., Su, Y., Su, S., Zhao, J., & Zhang, L. (2022). Perceived authenticity and experience quality in intangible cultural heritage tourism: The case of Kunqu opera in China. Sustainability, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052940
Lubart, T. (Ed.). (2018). Palgrave studies in creativity and culture. The creative process: Perspectives from multiple domains. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50563-7
Luu, T. T. (2021). Green creative behavior in the tourism industry: The role of green entrepreneurial orientation and a dual-mediation mechanism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(8), 1290–1318. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1834565
Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). An approach to environmental psychology. The MIT Press.
Mishra, B. (2018). The organizational learning inventory: An assessment guide for understanding your institution’s learning capabilities. The Learning Organization, 25(6), 455–456. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-09-2018-128
Penang State EXCO Office for Tourism and Creative Economy Development. (2021). Penang tourism master plan 2021–2030. https://gtwhi.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Penang-Tourism-Master-Plan-2021-2030-Report.pdf
Pera, R. (2017). Empowering the new traveller: Storytelling as a co-creative behaviour in tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(4), 331–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2014.982520
Piancatelli, Ch., Massi, M., & Vocino, A. (2021). The role of atmosphere in italian museums: Effects on brand perceptions and visitor behavioral intentions. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 29(6), 546–566. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2020.1786846
Pine II, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (2013). The experience economy: Past, present and future. In J. Sundbo & F. Sørensen (Eds.), Handbook on the experience economy (pp. 21–44). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781004227.00007
Pine II, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1998/07/welcome-to-the-experience-economy
Porter, C. M., Keith, M. G., & Woo, S. E. (2020). A meta-analysis of network positions and creative performance: Differentiating creativity conceptualizations and measurement approaches. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 14(1), 50–67. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000198
Qiang Li, P., & Kovacs, J. F. (2022). Creative tourism and creative spaces in China. Leisure Studies, 41(2), 180–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2021.1948596
Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Iranmanesh, M., Amin, M., Hussain, K., Jaafar, M., & Ataeishad, H. (2020). Are functional, emotional and social values interrelated? A study of traditional guesthouses in Iran. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(9), 2857–2880. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2020-0193
Rather, R. A., & Hollebeek, L. D. (2021). Customers’ service-related engagement, experience, and behavioral intent: Moderating role of age. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102453
Remoaldo, P., Serra, J., Marujo, N., Alves, J., Gonçalves, A., Cabeça, S., & Duxbury, N. (2020). Profiling the participants in creative tourism activities: Case studies from small and medium sized cities and rural areas from continental Portugal. Tourism Management Perspectives, 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100746
Richards, G. (2020). Designing creative places: The role of creative tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102922
Ringle, C. M., Silva, da D., & Bido, D. (2014). Structural equation modeling with the SmartPLS. REMark – Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 13(2), 56–73. https://doi.org/10.5585/remark.v13i2.2717
Rita, P., Oliveira, T., & Farisa, A. (2019). The impact of e-service quality and customer satisfaction on customer behavior in online shopping. Heliyon, 5(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02690
Runco, M. A., & Pagnani, A. R. (2011). Psychological research on creativity. In J. Sefton-Green, P. Thomson, K. Jones, & L. Bresler (Eds.), Routledge international handbooks. The Routledge international handbook of creative learning (pp. 63–71). Routledge.
Said-Metwaly, S., Noortgate, van den W., & Kyndt, E. (2017). Approaches to measuring creativity: A systematic literature review. Creativity: Theories – Research – Applications, 4(2), 238–275. https://doi.org/10.1515/ctra-2017-0013
Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Steele, L. M., Johnson, G., & Medeiros, K. E. (2018). Looking beyond the generation of creative ideas: Confidence in evaluating ideas predicts creative outcomes. Personality and Individual Differences, 125, 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.12.028
Stewart, V., Roennfeldt, H., Slattery, M., & Wheeler, A. J. (2019). Generating mutual recovery in creative spaces. Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 23(1), 16–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-08-2018-0029
Sthapit, E., Chiappa, del G., Coudounaris, D. N., & Björk, P. (2020). Tourism experiences, memorability and behavioural intentions: A study of tourists in Sardinia, Italy. Tourism Review, 75(3), 533–558. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-03-2019-0102
Suhartanto, D., Brien, A., Primiana, I., Wibisono, N., & Triyuni, N. N. (2020). Tourist loyalty in creative tourism: The role of experience quality, value, satisfaction, and motivation. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(7), 867–879. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1568400
Tan, Ch.-S., Lau, X.-Sh., & Lee, L.-K. (2019). The mediating role of creative process engagement in the relationship between shyness and self-rated creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 53(2), 222–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.173
Tang, Sh., Xu, Z., & Feng, N. (2021). Behavior intentions of urban forest recreationists based on structural equation model. Ecological Informatics, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101432
Thoring, K., Gonçalves, M., Mueller, R. M., Desmet, P., & Badke-Schaub, P. (2021). The architecture of creativity: Toward a causal theory of creative workspace design. International Journal of Design, 15(2), 17–36.
Tubillejas-Andrés, B., Cervera-Taulet, A., & Calderón García, H. (2020). How emotional response mediates servicescape impact on post consumption outcomes: An application to opera events. Tourism Management Perspectives, 34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100660
Wang, Ch., Liu, J., Wei, L., & Zhang, T. (Ch.). (2020). Impact of tourist experience on memorability and authenticity: A study of creative tourism. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 37(1), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2020.1711846
Wei, M., Liu, M., Peng, Y., Zhou, X., & Li, Sh. (2023). Effects of creative atmosphere on tourists’ post‐experience behaviors in creative tourism: The mediation roles of tourist inspiration and place attachment. International Journal of Tourism Research, 25(1), 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2553
Woisetschläger, D. M., Backhaus, Ch., & Cornwell, T. B. (2017). Inferring corporate motives: How deal characteristics shape sponsorship perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 81(5), 121–141. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.16.0082
Xia, M., Zhang, Y., & Gu, R. (2023). Creative tea beverages as a new tourism attraction? Exploring determinants of tourists’ repurchase intention using dual process theory. Sustainability, 15(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310642
Yang, Y., Yang, Y., & Shafi, M. (2024). Co-creation and consumers’ willingness to pay premium: Effect of involvement and satisfaction with co-creation process. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15, 10151–10173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01505-4
Yi, Y., Nataraajan, R., & Gong, T. (2011). Customer participation and citizenship behavioral influences on employee performance, satisfaction, commitment, and turnover intention. Journal of Business Research, 64(1), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.12.007
Yokochi, S., & Okada, T. (2021). The process of art-making and creative expertise: An analysis of artists’ process modification. Journal of Creative Behavior, 55(2), 532–545. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.472
Zabawa-Krzypkowska, J., & Groń, K. (2019, 11–13 November). Architectural and artistic action meaning for public space in the city: Creative teaching for students of architecture. Murals. In L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez, & I. Candel Torres (Eds.), ICERI2019: Proceedings. 12th Annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (pp. 2898–2906), Seville, Spain. International Academy of Technology, Education and Development. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2019.0738
Zhang, X., & Bartol, K. M. (2010). Linking empowering leadership and employee creativity: The influence of psychological empowerment, intrinsic motivation, and creative process engagement. Academy of Management Journal, 53(1), 107–128. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.48037118
Zhou, Q., Pu, Y., & Su, Ch. (2023). The Mediating roles of memorable tourism experiences and destination image in the correlation between cultural heritage rejuvenation experience quality and revisiting intention. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 35(6), 1313–1329. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-11-2021-0829
View article in other formats
Published
Issue
Section
Copyright
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.