How Nostalgic Animations Bring Tourists to Theme Parks: The Case of Hayao Miyazaki’s Works

An online survey was conducted to examine how nostalgias associated with Hayao Miyazaki's animations motivate tourists to visit a theme park inspired by the director's works. A structural equation modeling of the collected data revealed that the survey respondents who felt nostalgic about the characters, narratives, aesthetics, cultures, and traditions depicted in the animations showed a strong motivation to visit the theme park, which then positively influenced their attitude and behavioral intention to visit the park in the future. The study findings provided empirical evidence for validating nostalgia as a multidimensional concept and its vital role in promoting film tourism.