The effect of mindfulness, well-being and place attachment on tourist loyalty: A Case study of Chehelsotun palace and Vank cathedral Museums in Isfahan

A B S T R A C T
Over recent decades, the incorporation of psychological perspectives into tourism studies has drawn increasing scholarly attention to tourists’ well-being in destinations such as museums. Museums, as experiential spaces and among the most frequently visited attractions within cultural tourism, have demonstrated their capacity to generate long-term social impacts and to provide experiences that contribute to enhancing visitors’ well-being. The aim of the present study is to examine the relationships among visitors’ well-being, mindfulness, place attachment, and loyalty, with flow experience considered as a mediating variable. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey administered to visitors at two museums, Chehelsotun Palace and Vank Cathedral, in Isfahan, yielding 290 valid responses in accordance with the sample size guidelines proposed by Hair et al. (2014). The reliability of the measurement instruments was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in SPSS software, while hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling based on the partial least squares approach implemented through PLS software. The findings indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between mindfulness and tourists’ sense of well-being in museum settings. Furthermore, flow experience was found to mediate the relationship between mindfulness and tourists’ sense of well-being. The results also reveal positive and significant relationships between tourists’ sense of well-being and place attachment, as well as between place attachment and loyalty. Overall, the findings may inform museum management practices aimed at enhancing institutional dynamism and promoting the development of well-being-oriented tourism.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
In recent years, tourism scholars have increasingly associated tourist behavior and experiential processes with positive psychological outcomes. Positive psychology focuses on a range of valued experiential states, including well-being, flow, satisfaction, and mindfulness. As a state of mind in which individuals are receptive to novelty and aware of the present, mindfulness is crucial for having satisfying museum experiences. Mindfulness has the potential to enhance the quality and effectiveness of museum experiences, thereby increasing satisfaction and attachment to the museum environment. In leisure and tourism, particularly in the context of museums, mindfulness studies have generally focused on relational factors and the qualities of the learning environment. However, in the context of museum experiences that require a high level of cognitive awareness, there is limited theoretical knowledge of how mindful visits that are novelty-oriented and embrace the present moment without judgment can influence individuals’ well-being experiences. Furthermore, mindfulness has been shown to influence the occurrence and intensity of engrossment experiences, and existing empirical evidence suggests that mindfulness and such experiences are closely related. However, few studies have examined the moderating role of fascination in relation to mindfulness, and no previous research has investigated its mediating effect. Another component influenced by mindfulness is one’s sense of well-being. As current research suggests, hedonic and eudaimonic well-being are related constructs, and some studies in the tourism literature have examined the relationship between hedonic well-being as short-term pleasure and eudaimonic well-being as meaning and self-actualization. Tourism researchers have found that visitors’ hedonic well-being has a positive effect on their eudaimonic well-being. On the other hand, despite this dominant view, other researchers have argued that eudaimonic well-being plays a role in predicting hedonic well-being. Therefore, our knowledge of the simultaneous experience of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being remains unclear. As prior research indicates, current understanding of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being remains limited and fragmented. On the other hand, researchers have commonly employed the PERMA and DRAMMA models to assess tourists’ hedonic and eudaimonic well-being; however, neither international nor domestic studies have applied the DRAMMA model to measure tourists’ sense of well-being. Moreover, only a limited number of studies have examined the effects of eudaimonic well-being on place attachment and tourist loyalty. Nevertheless, no previous study has simultaneously examined the effects of both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being on place attachment and loyalty within a single analytical model. Accordingly, the present study seeks to address these research gaps by answering the following questions:

Does mindfulness influence tourists’ sense of well-being?
Does the state of fascination mediate the relationship between mindfulness and tourists’ sense of well-being?
Does tourists’ sense of well-being influence place attachment?
Does tourists’ place attachment influence their loyalty?

The findings of this research make a theoretical contribution to the leisure, tourism, and museum literature by clarifying the relationships between mindfulness, flow experience, sense of well-being, place attachment, and loyalty. Furthermore, based on the findings of the present study, this research contributes to museum management and marketing practices.
 
Methodology
This study is applied in nature with respect to its research purpose and adopts a quantitative research approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of all tourists who visited Chehelsotun Palace Museum and Vank Cathedral Museum during the period of data collection. Due to the accessibility of respondents at the study sites, convenience sampling was employed. The required sample size was determined based on the guidelines provided by Hair et al. (2014) for structural equation modeling studies. According to Hair et al. (2014), a minimum sample size of 265 respondents was considered sufficient; however, to enhance the accuracy and robustness of the results, a total of 290 participants were included in the final sample. Accordingly, 290 respondents were surveyed, and all distributed questionnaires were fully completed and deemed usable for analysis.
Data were collected through a combination of documentary review and field survey methods. The documentary review was used to identify relevant theoretical constructs and measurement scales, while the field survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to tourists at the two museum sites. All questionnaire items were measured using a Likert-type scale, allowing respondents to indicate their level of agreement with each statement. Prior to data analysis, the collected data were screened for completeness and suitability.
Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling based on the partial least squares (PLS-SEM) approach, which is appropriate for exploratory research and complex models involving mediation relationships. The analysis was implemented using PLS software. The case study of the present research consists of the two museums of Chehelsotun and Vank Church, both of which are among the most prominent cultural and historical attractions in Isfahan. The selection of these two sites was based on their cultural significance and their classification as historical monuments of the city. Moreover, according to statistics from the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Isfahan Province, these museums receive the highest number of visitors annually, making them suitable contexts for examining tourists’ experiences and well-being..
 
Results and discussion
The results of the descriptive analysis show that among the 290 sample respondents, 52.8 percent were visitors to the Chehelsotun Museum Garden and 47.2 percent were visitors to the Vank Museum and Church. The results also show that 62.1 percent of the sample were female and 37.9 percent were male. Furthermore, the data analysis shows that 49.3 percent of the tourists were between 20 and 30 years old. A total of 28.6 percent were between 31 and 40 years old, 15.9 percent were between 41 and 50, and 6.2 percent were aged 50 years and above. The results show that 19.7 percent of respondents held diploma and postgraduate degrees, 50.3 percent held bachelor’s degrees, 24.1 percent held master’s degrees, and 5.9 percent held doctoral degrees, with bachelor’s degree holders constituting the largest educational group.
The research findings indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between mindfulness and tourists’ sense of well-being in museum settings. The results further demonstrate that flow experience plays a mediating role in the relationship between mindfulness and tourists’ sense of well-being. In addition, a positive and significant relationship was identified between tourists’ sense of well-being and place attachment, as well as between place attachment and loyalty. Collectively, these findings provide practical insights for museum management aimed at enhancing organizational dynamism and supporting the development of well-being-oriented tourism. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test showed that the data were not normally distributed. A sample adequacy test was performed, and the calculated index was 0.92, indicating that the sample size was appropriate. To examine the fit of the measurement models, factor loadings were first assessed, and values above 0.4 confirmed the suitability of the research measurement tool. Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability tests were performed for the items of each variable. Therefore, the results show that the model presented in this study has appropriate reliability, as the value of each test exceeded 0.7.
 
Conclusion
The findings of the study suggest that mindfulness increases visitors’ sense of well-being. These findings support the positive psychology perspective and are consistent with previous studies indicating that mindfulness promotes happiness and enjoyment. According to the findings of the present study, when visitors are curious and receptive to their present-moment experiences, they are more likely to experience hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Furthermore, the current findings suggest that as individuals’ experience of fascination increases, the relationship between mindfulness and the sense of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being becomes stronger. As individuals’ experiences of fascination increase, the state of mindfulness also increases, which in turn enhances the sense of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. On the other hand, fascination also encompasses hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, as it creates and reflects a deep sense of pleasure and focus as a state of consciousness. As a result, as visitors experience flow, awareness and attention to the present moment increase, and thus visitors have more enjoyable, pleasant, and meaningful experiences. Therefore, if the two museums of Chehelsotun and Vank Church improve their physical dimensions (the way works are arranged, interpretive panels, use of technology, lighting, etc.) so that visitors feel present during their visit, this can help create and enhance tourists’ sense of well-being. Also, since the flow experience plays a mediating role in the relationship between mindfulness and sense of well-being, the two museums of Chehelsotun and Vank Church should make every effort to create interactive and participatory programs and activities so that visitors are immersed in the activities. Because when flow is experienced by visitors, mindfulness and a sense of well-being also occur. Among other things, strengthening the knowledge and skills of guides and staff can improve their performance in the museum. Also, the findings provide insight into the relationship between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being and place attachment. Therefore, this study extends previous research in the leisure and tourism literature and enriches knowledge of place attachment. Specifically, the study shows a direct and significant effect of museum visitors’ hedonic and eudaimonic well-being on place attachment. Visitors who experience self-expression, personal development, and enjoyment develop a positive attitude and bond toward the place, which leads to museum attachment and loyalty. The findings of this study indicate that the managers and staff of the two museums, Chehelsotun and Vank Church, should meet tourists’ expectations as much as possible and provide enjoyment, growth, and learning opportunities so that visitors become attached to the museum and are willing to revisit and recommend it.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.