Authenticity, involvement, and image: Evaluating tourist experiences at historic districts Lu Lu a, * , Christina G. Chi b , Yi Liu c a Washington State University, Carson College of Business, School of Hospitality Business Management, 340F Todd Hall, PO Box 644736, Pullman, WA 99164- 4736, USA b Washington State University, Carson College of Business, School of Hospitality Business Management, USA c Jinan University, College of Management, Department of Tourism Management, China highlights  An integral model of tourists' experience at historic districts is tested.  The mediating role of image is addressed.  Image mediates the relationships between authenticity and satisfaction, and between involvement and satisfaction. article info Article history: Received 19 July 2014 Accepted 17 January 2015 Available online Keywords: Heritage tourism Authenticity Tourist involvement Destination image Satisfaction Mediating effect abstract The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived authenticity, tourists' involvement, and destination image on tourists' experience at a historic district e Litchi Bay, China. This study also attempts to examine the mediating effect of destination image on the paths from perceived authenticity and involvement to tourists' satisfaction. Data were collected via an on-site survey and analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Results indicate that perceived authenticity and tourists' involvement in local activities directly contribute to the formation of destination image of the historic district. Tourists' involvement is positively associated with tourists' satisfaction. Destination image fully mediates the relationship between perceived authenticity and tourists' satisfaction, while partially mediates the link between tourists' involvement and satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications are elaborated. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction As a critical component of Chinese cultural heritage, historic districts enjoy a profound historic connotation while helping pre- serve and present traditional Chinese culture and history. Travel to historic districts can be classified as heritage tourism, which refers to travels undertaken with the intention to experience the places, activities, and artifacts that reflect the cultural history and stories in an authentic manner (Chaudhary & Aggarwal, 2012). The primary purposes of heritage tourism include gaining knowledge and appreciating local art, architecture, and traditions. Therefore, tourists' experience is an essential element for heritage tourism management (Chaudhary & Aggarwal, 2012). In recent years, the number of tourists visiting historic sites in China has been growing exponentially (Hu, 2010). This increase in popularity stems from the remarkable growth that China has been experiencing in inter- national and domestic tourism in recent decades; and the tourism growth is brought by the rapid development of Chinese economy and the implementation of the Opening-up Policy since 1978. As a socialist country, China is equipped with a social economic system featuring a marriage between capitalism and socialism (White, 2002). Reforms following the Opening-up policy have greatly encouraged capitalism growth and decentralization in policy making, including tourism development (Wang & Bramwell, 2012). In China, tourism development in historic districts started in 1990s and is considered as an effective strategy to rejuvenate those areas (Liu & Liu, 2010). As a developing country with socialist economic systems, Chinese government is heavily involved in tourism development by assuming the roles of operator, regulator, * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ1 509 335 3085. E-mail address: lu.lu@email.wsu.edu (L. Lu). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Tourism Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tourman http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.01.026 0261-5177/© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Tourism Management 50 (2015) 85e96