Evolutionary Cultural Flows of Hallyu : Middle Eastern Perceptions

This study aims to analyze the influence of Korean cultural content (including K-drama, K-pop music, and K-sport) on Middle-Eastern nationals and its contribution to promoting the destination image and tourism industry. For this purpose, a face-to-face survey was conducted on Middle Eastern nationals in Korea, yielding N=318 valid responses for data analysis. We designed a proposed theoretical model with five hypotheses. We examined the effect of service quality on tourist behavior by testing structural relationships between Korean cultural content, and destination image. The findings showed that Korean cultural content positively influenced the destination image, and the destination image positively influenced tourist behavior. The results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) supported the tourist behavior model and mediation analysis showed that service quality indirectly influenced tourist behavior through Korean cultural content (K-drama, K-pop music, K-sport) and destination image. So far, few empirical evidences from Middle Eastern perspectives have tested the mediating role of service quality in the relationships of Korean cultural content, destination image, and tourist behavior. Based on the findings, theoretical and practical implications are presented for tourist marketers, managers, and policymakers. The study suggests that Korean cultural content has the potential to enhance the destination image and expand the tourism market to the Middle East region and various Muslim countries worldwide.