The role of authenticity on revisit intention: tourist experience as a mediation at the Reyog Ponorogo National Festival

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between tourism authenticity and tourism experience and its implications for tourists' intention to make repeat visits in the context of cultural festivals.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses descriptive quantitative and partial least square analysis by discussing six direct and five indirect relationships in the model. This study used a purposive sampling technique, with a total sample of 189 respondents who were collected through a survey of tourists who had visited the Reog Ponorogo National Festival. This study uses SmartPLS SEM to analyze the data.FindingsThe results show that this study extends its practical, policy and theoretical implications to cultural festival stakeholders. In addition, the findings of this study indicate that objective and constructive authenticity have a positive and significant effect on tourist experience. Meanwhile, tourist experience has a positive and significant effect on revisit intention. The mediating role of tourist experience also has a positive and significant effect.Originality/valueEvent tourism that favors the culture of local wisdom shows originality and becomes an attraction for tourists to visit which affects experience and revisit intention. This study focuses on the attributes of authenticity to tourist experience and revisit intention, in which tourist experience acts as a mediation.