Understanding Chinese tourists' perceptions of Cantonese as a regional dialect

Abstract This study aimed to offer an in-depth understanding of Chinese tourists' perceptions of Cantonese as a regional dialect. Using two samples of Chinese tourists (sample 1: n = 134; sample 2: n = 331) at popular tourist attractions in Guangzhou, China, four dimensions of Chinese tourists' perceptions of the Cantonese dialect, namely, local characteristics, captivation, functionality, and dialect understanding, were identified and confirmed. Furthermore, functionality, dialect understanding, and local characteristics were found to influence tourist satisfaction; local characteristics and captivation predicted revisit intention; and captivation and dialect understanding affected recommendation intentions. Slight differences in dialect perceptions were identified between Chinese tourists who had knowledge of the Cantonese dialect and those who had no knowledge of the dialect at all. Destination marketing and management implications were provided.