An Empirical Study of Validating Cultural Event Experience in Determining Jordan’s Destination Competitiveness

Abstract

A country's ability to attract the largest number of tourists depends on its capacity to enhance competitiveness in
the tourism sector. While Jordan's tourism competitiveness focuses on tourist destinations and basic resources, including
infrastructure and administration, cultural interaction remains marginalised and weak. This study aims to validate the
experience of cultural events in terms of (Cognitive engagement, Affective engagement, Physical engagement, and Novelty)
and to examine their role in determining Jordan’s destination competitiveness from the perspective of tourists. The study
adopted a questionnaire to collect primary data from 90 individuals in Jordan. SPSS was used to screen and analyse the
collected primary data. Results indicated a robust connection between the independent and dependent variables. The
independent variables accounted for 63.9% of the variance in the dependent variable. The F value was statistically significant
at the 0.05 level, indicating acceptance of the main hypothesis and that cultural event experience can determine Jordan's
destination competitiveness. The information and knowledge individuals gain from such events might facilitate word-ofmouth
and the intention to recreate the experience, driven by the feelings associated with the event. The study
recommended reevaluating cultural event prices to align with those of neighbouring countries that rely more on technology
and artificial intelligence. Furthermore, increasing the level of competitive analysis from a single tourism project to the sector
level, then to the national level, and finally to the regional level.