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From visit to return: topologizing diaspora identity through memorable tourism and migration intentions
Journal article   Peer reviewed

From visit to return: topologizing diaspora identity through memorable tourism and migration intentions

Adrienne Tingyao Liu, Yoo Ri Kim, Allan M. Williams, Anyu Liu and Pearl M. C. Lin
Current Issues in Tourism, pp.1-16
27/12/2025

Abstract

diaspora tourism transnationalism identities memorable tourism experience return migration
This study examines how return visits shape return migration intention (RMI) among diaspora tourists by proposing and empirically validating a fourfold identity typology: Destination, Origin, Fusion, and Conflict. Drawing on a new scale of Diaspora Memorable Tourism Experience (DMTE) and survey data from UK-based migrants, the study tests how identity orientation moderates the DMTE-RMI relationship. Results reveal significant and systematically varied effects, with the strongest influence among Conflict-identity individuals. These findings confirm the typology's behavioural relevance and refine theories of transnationalism by demonstrating that identity hybridity is not uniform but behaviourally consequential. Practical implications highlight how destination marketers can tailor tourism experiences to engage diaspora audiences emotionally and strategically. The study contributes to bridging tourism and migration research by positioning return visits as moments of identity negotiation with potential long-term mobility implications.
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LIU ET AL Current Issues 20261.48 MBDownloadView
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