TOURIST CO-CREATION OF SOUVENIR PRODUCTS AT BAT TRANG POTTERY VILLAGE

Abstract

This study investigates the factors influencing tourists’ co-creation of souvenir products at Bat Trang Pottery village, with the aim of empirically validating a theoretical model in this context. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including directed content analysis, semi-structured interviews with artisans, and a quantitative survey of 201 tourists. Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis. The results indicate that both tourist participation and interactive environment positively affect co-creation behavior, in which tourist participation emerged as the most influential factor. Moreover, co-creation behavior plays a crucial mediating role, significantly enhancing tourists’ perceived experience value. The findings reinforce and extend existing theories of value co-creation and creative tourism experience, while offering practical implications for designing personalized tourism products and proposing strategic directions for sustainable development of craft village tourism.