Research on the Discursive Construction and Identity of Homestay Tourism in the Context of Hakka Culture: A Case Study of Heyuan

Abstract

Against the backdrop of rural revitalization and the integration of culture and tourism, homestay tourism has emerged as a significant pathway for revitalizing local cultural heritage and fostering rural economic development. In Hakka regions, exemplified by Heyuan, Guangdong—the “Hakka Ancient City”—the development of homestays serves as a crucial arena for the inheritance and reconfiguration of Hakka culture within a modern context. This study interrogates the central role of discourse in this process, exploring how multiple discursive agents—including official institutions, operators, and media—collectively construct a distinctive Hakka cultural identity. Furthermore, it examines how this discursively shaped experience influences tourists’ place identity and ultimate revisit intentions.To address these questions, the research employs a qualitative case study design grounded in Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Taking Heyuan as the primary site, the study systematically analyzes a corpus of official promotional texts, online reviews, and in-depth interviews with 15 operators and 20 tourists. The findings reveal that discourse serves as a core force in constructing cultural identity through narrative strategies centered on “authenticity,” “nostalgic memory,” and “local differentiation”. This discursive construction effectively fosters place identity by shaping cognitive understanding, evoking emotional resonance, and meeting functional expectations. Moreover, place identity acts as a critical mediator; a strong sense of identity significantly predicts revisit and recommendation intentions. By moving beyond macro-spatial analysis, this study unveils the micro-mechanisms of meaning-making that connect culture, place, and individual experience. It offers a novel theoretical perspective on tourism-driven identity formation and provides practical pathways for the sustainable development of ethnic tourism in broader Hakka regions through strategic discourse management.