This study explores the sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism from a rational behavioral process perspective based on the theory of planned behavior. A multi‐level conceptual model of ICH tourism and its intentions for sustainable development, including formal rationality and substantive rationality, is constructed. We discovered that it is not only altruistic intention that contributes to decision‐making in the sustainable development of ICH tourism, but egoistic benefit also has an impact on such decisions. This is an explorative study that provides a hierarchical linear conceptual framework for the sustainable development of ICH tourism by discussing practitioners' decision‐making behavior.

PurposeExamining the influence of ethnic food tourists' perception of hygiene on their attitudinal loyalty formation is the purpose of this study. Specifically, How to demonstrate touristsʼ perception of ethnic food hygiene is the key question, and moreover, the study also investigates whether and how the stages of attitudinal loyalty in this study, which are perceived authenticity, positive emotion, and perceived value, are illustrated in this mechanism and are affected by tourist perceptions of hygiene?Design/methodology/approachBy engaging in the critical debate around the topic of hygiene perception, this study explores the influence of this factor on tourist's attitudinal loyalty, including the cognitive, affective and conative aspects, to ethnic food through the adoption of perceived authenticity, positive emotion and perceived value. A survey was conducted at the Xijiang Miao Village, a very popular ethnic tourism destination in China.FindingsThis study reveals that ethnic food tourists' perceptions of hygiene have five dimensions. One of these plays a direct predictor role in developing effective conative loyalty (perceived value). Tourists' perceptions of authenticity and positive emotion representing cognitive and affective loyalty are confirmed in their direct effect on conative loyalty as well. The five dimensions of perceptions of hygiene identified have varying degrees of influence on the three stages of attitudinal loyalty.Originality/valueThe unique contribution of this study lies in two points: (1) it has discovered the way that tourists' perceptions of the hygienic preparation of ethnic food in the ethnic destination is constructed, and (2) it investigated the relationship between tourists' perceptions of hygiene and the three stages of attitudinal loyalty.