This study investigates the role of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)-themed refrigerator magnets as cultural symbols and social instruments in contemporary heritage tourism. Despite their modest cost and size, these souvenirs significantly influence post-travel behaviors, particularly digital sharing and identity expression. This investigation employs a convergent methodological approach, incorporating participant interviews, digital content examination, and questionnaire data to explore the psychological mechanisms underlying commemorative item procurement and distribution practices. Primary motivational factors encompass status acknowledgment pursuits, experiential preservation needs, and interpersonal connection aspirations. The results demonstrate that ICH-infused magnets operate as forms of “social currency” within online ecosystems, facilitating tourists’ navigation of cultural affiliation and hierarchical positioning through material possessions. Evidence indicates that mundane memorial artifacts enable cross-cultural communication and individual identity construction processes, creating connections between corporeal travel encounters and digitized social engagement. These findings advance scholarly comprehension of the intricate communicative roles performed by ostensibly elementary souvenir objects in heritage tourism settings.