Designing Cultural Tourism Experiences: An Identity-Based Service Design Framework for Hanbok Rental Experiences

2. 1. Identity Expression in Cultural Tourism

Identity expression plays a central role in contemporary tourism experiences. Self-concept theory explains this through four dimensions: the actual self (current self-perception), ideal self (aspired identity), social self (others’ perception), and ideal social self (desired social image) (Sirgy, 1982). Prior tourism research also highlights the diversity of tourist motivations and experiences (Nyaupane et al., 2006). These identity dimensions influence how individuals select and interpret experiences, particularly when they carry symbolic cultural or social meanings (Lewis et al., 2010). Tourism is therefore not only a functional activity but also a form of symbolic and experiential consumption (Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982), and clothing, especially traditional attire, serves as a powerful medium for identity expression (Barnard, 2002).

In cultural tourism, identity expression occurs through embodied participation in local traditions and heritage spaces. Clothing can shape cognition and behavior by activating the symbolic meanings of what is worn (Adam & Galinsky, 2012). Traditional attire thus allows tourists not only to observe culture but also to temporarily embody it, often extending this experience through visual documentation and social media sharing (Arnaboldi & Diaz Lema, 2022).

While this perspective explains why tourists are drawn to culturally symbolic activities, it does not fully capture how these motivations translate into experiential engagement. Therefore, this study also draws on the experience economy to examine the emotional, sensory, and participatory dimensions of hanbok rental.

2. 2. Hanbok Rental as an Embodied Cultural Tourism Experience

The experience economy framework explains how cultural tourism activities such as hanbok rental become meaningful and memorable by creating value through staged experiences rather than through goods or services alone (Pine & Gilmore, 1998). In this context, consumers seek emotionally engaging and immersive encounters beyond functional consumption (Poulsson & Kale, 2004), where value is co-created through interactions between consumers and service providers (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004). Pine and Gilmore (1998) further describe four realms of experience: entertainment, esthetic, educational, and escapist, which represent different modes of engagement, ranging from passive enjoyment and visual immersion to active learning and deeper role adoption.

Hanbok rental activates all four realms: entertainment through photo-taking, esthetic through visual immersion in heritage settings, educational through learning about traditional attire, and escapist through temporarily embodying cultural identities. Such experiences involve embodied participation, where visitors engage through bodily practices as well as observation (Edensor, 2001). However, these perspectives provide limited insight into how experiences are structured within tourism services. Activities such as hanbok rental unfold through multiple service interactions, requiring a service design perspective that examines the service journey and its touchpoints.

2. 3. Service Design Analytical Framework for Hanbok Rental Experiences

This study adopts an integrated framework linking tourist motivations, experiential engagement, and service system design in cultural tourism activities such as hanbok rental. In this context, experiences are shaped by interactions between product elements, service encounters, and culturally immersive environments. Product–service systems (PSS) describe configurations in which physical products and service components jointly create value for users, while the product–service system (PSS) framework distinguishes product-oriented, use-oriented, and result-oriented systems based on how products, service access, and experiential outcomes are integrated (Tukker, 2004).

Within hanbok rental services, the garment is not the final object of consumption but an enabling product that supports participation in a broader cultural activity. To examine how this service structure supports or constrains cultural tourism experiences, this study employs service blueprint analysis to map the service journey and identify how identity-related meanings, experiential values, and service gaps emerge across stages. This framework provides the basis for understanding how tourists perceive and prioritize different aspects of the hanbok rental process.

3. 1. Research Design

This study uses a two-phase mixed-method design integrating qualitative exploration of the service journey with quantitative evaluation of service priorities. Phase 1 qualitatively maps the nine-stage hanbok rental journey and derives nine stage-based service improvement elements, referring to key service components identified across journey stages and later evaluated in the IPA analysis. Phase 2 surveys 131 foreign tourists with hanbok rental experience and applies importance–performance analysis (IPA) to evaluate the importance and performance of these elements across identity-oriented tourist segments.

3. 2. Phase 1: Qualitative Service Journey Analysis

Phase 1 used researcher immersion, focus group interviews, and Naver Map user-generated reviews to examine foreign tourists’ hanbok rental experiences. Fieldnotes, interview materials, and translated reviews were read repeatedly to achieve familiarity with the data. Initial open coding was conducted to identify recurring issues, pain points, experiential highlights, and emotional responses across the hanbok rental process. Codes were then compared across data sources and grouped according to similar meanings and journey-stage relevance. Repeated patterns appearing across multiple sources were treated as more salient qualitative findings, as their recurrence indicated aspects of the service journey that were consistently experienced or emphasized by tourists. These themes were subsequently organized into sequential journey stages and interpreted through self-concept theory, experience economy dimensions, and product–service system (PSS) principles to examine identity expression, experiential value, and service configurations across stages. Based on iterative comparison across themes and stages, a service blueprint was developed to visualize key interactions and touchpoints, from which nine stage-based service improvement elements were synthesized and translated into IPA evaluation items for Phase 2.

3. 3. Phase 2: Quantitative Evaluation Using IPA

Based on the nine service improvement elements derived from the qualitative service journey analysis in Phase 1, Phase 2 evaluated these elements through a survey of foreign tourists with prior hanbok rental experience. A total of 135 responses were collected, of which 131 were valid. The questionnaire measured identity-oriented motivations across four dimensions (actual self, ideal self, social self, and ideal social self), each using two items on a five-point Likert scale, with composite scores calculated by averaging item pairs. The identity dimensions showed acceptable internal consistency based on correlations between paired items. Respondents also rated the importance and performance of the nine stage-based service elements using a five-point Likert scale.

Importance–performance analysis (IPA) was applied to compare perceived importance and performance and identify high-importance, low-performance priorities for service improvement (Martilla & James, 1977; Wu et al., 2023). Mean scores were plotted on a two-dimensional matrix to highlight these strategic areas.

4. 1. Service Blueprint of the Hanbok Rental Experience

A service blueprint was developed based on the qualitative findings to visualize the hanbok rental journey, organizing the service into nine sequential stages from pre-booking to post-experience reflection. To support interpretation, three analytical dimensions are applied across all stages: identity connection (primary and secondary self-concept motivations), experiential value (experience economy realms classified as dominant, significant, or minor, corresponding to the strongest, secondary but still meaningful, and supporting experiential patterns, respectively), and PSS orientation (product-, use-, and result-oriented value from strongly to weakly represented).

Figure 2 presents the blueprint, illustrating how these dimensions interact across the journey and providing a basis for identifying stage-specific service improvement opportunities.

Figure 2

Service Blueprint of the Hanbok Rental Experience

4. 2. Stage-Based Service Journey Analysis and Improvement Elements

The service blueprint reveals distinct patterns across the hanbok rental journey, highlighting how identity-related motivations and experiential values evolve across the hanbok rental journey:

• • Stage 1 – Pre-Booking: Motivated by ideal self and ideal social self, this stage reflects a significant entertainment experience driven by anticipation and imagination. However, limited product visibility and pre-experience guidance constrain tourists’ ability to clearly visualize the upcoming experience.
• • Stage 2 – Find Store & Arrival: Driven by ideal social self, this stage maintains a significant entertainment experience as anticipation continues through observation and expectation. Yet unclear accessibility and insufficient wayfinding, especially for international visitors, disrupt early engagement.
• • Stage 3 – Entry & Welcome: Motivated by ideal social self, this stage reflects a dominant esthetic experience supported by strong product-oriented display. Crowding and inconsistent organization, however, undermine comfort and clarity, indicating weak use-oriented support at a critical first in-store touchpoint.
• • Stage 4 – Hanbok Selection: Guided by social self, this stage represents a dominant entertainment experience supported by product- and use-oriented service. The lack of cultural framing leads tourists to focus on visual appeal over cultural meaning.
• • Stage 5 – Fitting & Dressing: Driven by ideal self, this stage reflects a dominant escapist experience as tourists embody cultural identity. Limited result-oriented guidance reduces deeper engagement with posture and cultural etiquette.
• • Stage 6 – Hair Styling & Accessories: Motivated by ideal social self, this stage corresponds to a dominant entertainment experience completing aesthetic preparation. However, limited result-oriented explanation reduces understanding of the cultural meaning behind hairstyles and accessories.
• • Stage 7 – Site Visit Support: Shaped by social self and actual self, this stage reflects a dominant escapist experience supported by product- and result-oriented service. Restricted rental duration and limited flexibility constrain engagement across sites.
• • Stage 8 – Return & Closure: As motivation shifts to actual self, experiential intensity declines to a minor level, with residual enjoyment from earlier stages. Low service support and the absence of a clear closure ritual weaken the emotional ending of the experience.
• • Stage 9 – Post-Visit Engagement: Driven by ideal social self, this stage sustains a significant entertainment experience through reflection and sharing. Limited post-visit interaction reduces opportunities to reinforce cultural meaning and sustain the relationship.

Based on these patterns, nine stage-based service improvement elements were defined to address gaps between experiential expectations and current delivery (Table 1), which are subsequently evaluated using importance–performance analysis (IPA).

Table 1

Stage-Based Service Improvement Elements for IPA Evaluation

5. 1. Respondent Characteristics

A total of 135 responses were collected, of which 131 valid responses were retained after excluding ineligible participants. Table 2 presents the demographic characteristics of the respondents.

Table 2

Demographic Characteristics of Respondents(N = 131)

The sample primarily consisted of recent hanbok rental participants (62.6% within the past year). Respondents represented diverse international backgrounds, with the majority from Asia (66.4%), followed by the Americas (15.3%), Europe (12.2%), and other regions (6.1%). Most were aged 25–34 (63.4%), indicating a predominance of young adult tourists. Overall, these characteristics provide an appropriate basis for analyzing identity-oriented motivations and service experience evaluations.

5. 2. Identity–Oriented Tourist Segmentation

Identity-oriented motivations were examined across four self-concept dimensions (actual self, ideal self, social self, and ideal social self), each measured using two items on a five-point Likert scale. Paired items showed moderate positive correlations (r = 0.56–0.64), indicating acceptable internal consistency for an exploratory brief measure. However, because each construct was measured using only two items, the scale should be interpreted as an exploratory measure rather than a comprehensive psychometric instrument. As shown in Table 3, actual self had the highest mean score, followed by ideal self, while social self and ideal social self were comparatively lower.

Table 3

Mean Scores of Identity Motivations

Respondents were classified according to the self-concept dimension(s) with the highest score. When two or more dimensions shared the same highest score, respondents were categorized as having a mixed identity profile. A substantial proportion of respondents (n = 53) exhibited mixed identity orientations, suggesting that multiple identity motivations may operate simultaneously during the hanbok rental experience (Table 4).

Table 4

Identity Type Distribution

Rather than excluding these respondents, all tied dimensions were incorporated through an activation-based approach in which multiple identities could be simultaneously counted as active (Table 5).

Table 5

Identity Motivation Activation

Results showed that actual self (74.8%) and ideal self (42.7%) were the most frequently activated dimensions, whereas social self and ideal social self appeared less prominent. Given their substantially higher activation frequencies and their relevance to self-congruity theory as dimensions reflecting current and desired self-perceptions in relation to symbolic service image (Sirgy, 1982), subsequent IPA analyses focused on actual self and ideal self to identify stage-based service improvement priorities across the hanbok rental journey.

5. 3. Importance-Performance Analysis Results

The IPA matrix plots importance on the vertical axis and performance on the horizontal axis, using grand mean values as crosshairs to identify strategic priorities across four quadrants. Elements in the “priority for improvement” quadrant represent high importance but relatively low performance, while other quadrants reflect areas of maintain, low priority, or possible overinvestment.

Separate IPA matrices were generated for tourists with activated actual self motivations (n = 98) and ideal self motivations (n = 56), enabling subgroup comparison.

5. 3. 1. IPA Results for Actual Self Tourists

The grand mean values used as crosshairs are 4.26 for importance and 3.67 for performance. Table 6 presents the importance, performance, and gap scores for each stage, with results visualized in Figure 3.

Table 6

Importance-Performance Scores for Actual Self Tourists

Figure 3

IPA Results for Actual Self Tourists

For actual-self–oriented tourists, Entry & Welcome (4.64), Site Visit Support (4.57), and Find Store & Arrival (4.53) show the highest importance, with Fitting & Dressing and Return & Closure also above the overall mean. Gap analysis indicates the largest performance shortfalls in Hair Styling & Accessories (1.19) and Fitting & Dressing (1.17), followed by Entry & Welcome (0.63), suggesting that transformation-related and initial reception stages require stronger support despite their differing priority levels in the IPA quadrants.

5. 3. 2. IPA Results for Ideal Self Tourists

The grand mean values used as crosshairs are 4.30 for importance and 3.80 for performance. Table 7 presents the importance, performance, and gap scores for each stage, with results visualized in Figure 4.

Table 7

Importance-Performance Scores for Ideal Self Tourist

Figure 4

IPA Results for Ideal Self Tourists

For ideal-self–oriented tourists, Entry & Welcome (4.71), Find Store & Arrival (4.54), and Return & Closure (4.48) show the highest importance, with Site Visit Support also above the overall mean. Gap analysis indicates the largest performance shortfalls in Fitting & Dressing (1.20), followed by Hair Styling & Accessories (0.80) and Hanbok Selection (0.68), suggesting that transformation and selection stages require stronger support.

6. 1. Identity-Oriented Cultural Tourism Experiences in Hanbok Rental

From a theoretical perspective, the findings support self-concept theory, which suggests that consumption behavior is shaped by the relationship between products and multiple dimensions of the self (Sirgy, 1982). In this study, hanbok rental experiences are primarily driven by internal identity motivations, particularly actual self and ideal self, while social self and ideal social self are comparatively less prominent. This suggests that tourists participate not mainly for external validation, but to experience a personal connection with cultural identity and to explore an aspirational version of themselves. This contrasts with prior studies emphasizing socially oriented motivations such as conformity, memory sharing, and “Instagrammable” display (Lee & Lee, 2019; Shim, J, 2017).

Identity motivations are also closely linked to how the experience is structured across service stages. Entry & Welcome is consistently rated as highly important, while the largest performance gaps appear in Fitting & Dressing and Hair Styling & Accessories across both identity groups. These transformation stages involve direct physical interaction and intensive service support, yet remain below expectations. This indicates that experiential value in hanbok rental is strongly tied to embodied participation, aligning with embodied perspectives on tourism and research highlighting the importance of personalized and contextual service (Edensor, 2001; Yoanto & Lee, 2025).

Within this framework, identity-based segmentation offers a more meaningful lens than demographic or behavioral approaches. Actual-self–oriented tourists tend to prioritize authentic engagement and meaningful interaction, whereas ideal-self–oriented tourists focus on transformation, aesthetic enhancement, and aspirational identity expression.

6. 2. Service Design Implications for Traditional Attire Rental Services

Building on identity-oriented findings and stage-based IPA results, this section outlines differentiated service design strategies for actual-self–oriented and ideal-self–oriented tourists. Rather than proposing a single generic approach, the strategies focus on key priority stages identified through gap analysis, translating critical service deficiencies into targeted design interventions that reflect each group’s experiential priorities.

6. 2. 2. Service Strategies for Ideal-Self-Oriented Experiences

For ideal-self–oriented tourists, the journey appears to function as aspirational self-presentation: the service does not simply reflect the self but supports construction of a more desired version of it. This aligns with Sirgy’s distinction between actual and ideal self-congruity, where the former reflects congruence with the current self and the latter reflects congruence with the desired self. Entry & Welcome, Find Store & Arrival, and Return & Closure are highly important, followed by Site Visit Support and Fitting & Dressing, while the largest performance gaps appear in Fitting & Dressing, Hair Styling & Accessories, and Hanbok Selection. These stages become critical because ideal-self expression is most strongly activated when tourists can see, adjust, and refine their appearance throughout the transformation process.

• • Fitting & Dressing functions as a transition point where tourists begin aligning appearance with desired self-images. Brief styling consultation supported by preference cards (e.g., elegant, youthful, royal, traditional) may help staff facilitate appearance preferences aligned with tourists’ preferred self-image. In line with the original stage-based improvement element, light contextual cues may be incorporated to provide cultural reference while maintaining the primary emphasis on transformation and desired self-presentation.
• • Hair Styling & Accessories functions as a stage where transformation becomes visually complete. Rather than providing standardized styling, staff may recommend themed accessory combinations aligned with selected hanbok styles. This approach may strengthen visual coherence while preserving optional cultural references that support a satisfying transformation experience.
• • Entry & Welcome was prioritized over Hanbok Selection because it combines the highest importance score with a substantial performance shortfall, suggesting that early-stage interactions may disproportionately shape expectations for transformation-oriented experiences. Once tourists’ experiential priorities are recognized, visual presentation through organized displays, mirrors, and spatial arrangement may be adjusted to reinforce expectations prior to the experience and enhance aesthetic immersion. This aligns with the esthetic dominance identified in the service blueprint and supports the beginning of a transformation-oriented experience.

Fitting & Dressing, Hair Styling & Accessories, and Entry & Welcome emerge as shared priority stages across identity orientations, but their experiential meanings differ according to identity goals: actual-self experiences emphasize cultural congruence and grounded participation, whereas ideal-self experiences emphasize aspirational transformation and visual self-enhancement. This extends prior cultural tourism research by suggesting that the same service stages may support different identity outcomes depending on which self-concept becomes most salient. Practically, the implication is not to standardize a single “best” experience but to adapt staff scripts, spatial cues, and styling options according to tourists’ identity orientation.

Figure 5

Identity-Oriented Service Design Framework for Priority Service Stages Identified through IPA