From motifs to stories: how semiotic design triggers storytelling and drives souvenir purchase intentions in cultural heritage tourism

Purpose This study aims to examine how symbolic cultural stimuli, embedded in souvenir design, shape tourists' purchase intentions through storytelling by integrating semiotic theory, narrative transportation theory and the stimulus-organism-response (S–O–R) framework within cultural heritage tourism. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Study 1 involved conducting a semiotic analysis of motifs from the Pueai Noi Sanctuary (PNS) and developing contemporary souvenir prototypes. Study 2 surveyed 342 domestic Thai tourists who had previously visited PNS, and the proposed model was empirically tested using a partial least squares structural equation model. Findings Storytelling emerged as the strongest predictor of purchase intention. Emotional appeal and cultural memory recall indirectly influenced purchase intention through storytelling, whereas cultural association strength exerted a direct effect. Practical implications This study has both theoretical and practical implications, although its single-site cultural context constrains broader generalizability. Recognizing the diversity of cultural heritage, destinations should account for contextual variation and prioritizing the design of souvenirs can enhance tourists' purchase intentions. Originality/value This study contributes to the advancement of cultural heritage tourism studies by synthesizing semiotic theory, narrative transportation theory and the S–O–R framework to explain how symbolic design influences tourist behavior.