Tourism products play a pivotal role in destination selection and represent the primary medium through which tourists seek meaning and generate experiential value. However, resource-scarce destinations often lack distinctive natural or cultural resources, making it difficult to evoke a strong sense of meaning. This study examines the matching effect between tourism product design approach and destination resource type, as well as the mediating role of perceived escapism. It further investigates the moderating effect of film-induced tourism in resource-scarce destinations. Empirical analyses are conducted using 3,070,673 online reviews of Chinese 4A- and 5A-rated scenic spots and experimental data from 495 participants. The results show that tourists hold more positive attitudes toward the authenticity-oriented approach in resource-rich destinations, whereas the artificiality-oriented approach is evaluated more favorably in resource-scarce destinations. In addition, fantasy-themed (vs. realistic-themed) film and television further strengthen the positive effect of the artificiality-oriented approach in resource-scarce destinations. Perceived escapism mediates these relationships. This study provides empirical evidence for tourism destination development, extends tourism marketing research by integrating product design and external narrative resources, and offers practical guidance for destination managers.
Li et al. (Fri,) studied this question.