Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Tourism value is increasingly understood as an outcome of resource integration and interaction among tourists and destination actors. However, the relationships among perceived co-creation value, subjective well-being, co-creation intention, and perceived novelty remain insufficiently examined in ancient-town tourism. This study investigated these relationships among tourists visiting Anshun Ancient City and assessed the mediating role of subjective well-being and differences between perceived-novelty groups. A quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted using quota sampling based on gender and age. Of 450 questionnaires distributed, 424 valid responses were obtained, representing a valid response rate of approximately 94.2%. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, regression, mediation analysis, and grouped heterogeneity analysis. Perceived co-creation value was positively associated with subjective well-being and co-creation intention, while subjective well-being was positively associated with co-creation intention. The mediation analysis indicated that subjective well-being partially mediated the relationship between perceived co-creation value and co-creation intention. The grouped analyses also showed that the predictive relationships differed between tourists with lower and higher perceived novelty. These findings suggest that accessible and meaningful participatory experiences may support tourists’ well-being and willingness to engage in future co-creation. Destination managers should consider both tourists’ psychological experiences and their differing novelty preferences when designing cultural tourism activities.