Living nomadic heritage in the Mongolian steppe: Visitor interpretations, destination image formation, and brand meaning

Chang, Heidi H. (2027) Living nomadic heritage in the Mongolian steppe: Visitor interpretations, destination image formation, and brand meaning. MODERN GEOGRÁFIA, 22 (1). pp. 37-62. ISSN 2062-1655 (In Press)

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Abstract

This study examines how international visitors’ perceptions of Mongolia’s living nomadic heritage contribute to destination brand meaning, with particular attention to the mediating role of destination image. Drawing on on-site survey data from 200 international tourists visiting Mongolia, the study investigates whether ongoing nomadic cultural practices function as an interpretive resource shaping destination brand meaning, rather than merely serving as tourism attractions. Using regressionbased mediation analysis, the findings indicate that perceived nomadic culture positively influences destination image, which in turn contributes to destination brand evaluations. When both predictors are entered simultaneously, destination image and perceived nomadic culture remain significant, indicating a partial mediation effect. The results suggest that, in living-heritage destinations, brand meaning is formed through both cognitive–affective image evaluations and the direct interpretation of everyday cultural encounters. By empirically specifying this mechanism in Mongolia’s nomadic setting, the study contributes to geographical discussions of heritage-as-practice and interpretive place meaning in underexamined East Asian cultural landscapes.

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