Examining the determinants of tourist destination loyalty | |
| Author | Chartaya Nilplub |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.SM-17-01 |
| Subject(s) | Tourism--Management Consumer satisfaction |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | This study proposes a structural model designed to identify the most important determinants of tourist loyalty, with a specific focus on the complex role of tourist satisfaction. It also aims to examine the moderating role of tourist demographic profile and trip characteristics on the relationship of destination loyalty and its determinants. Using structural modeling equation, empirical results based on a representative sample of 483 international tourists in Thailand reveal that the satisfaction of tourists fully mediates the effects of push and pull motivations and perceived value for money on destination loyalty, and partially mediates the relationship between perceived service quality and destination loyalty. Among the five significant determinants, satisfaction has the strongest direct effect on destination loyalty, followed by perceived service quality. The other three determinants, perceived value for money, push motivations, and pull motivations, indirectly affect destination loyalty through satisfaction. For the examination of the moderating role of tourist demographic profiles and trip characteristics, the results show that gender, age, and type of destination significantly moderates the relationships between tourist destination loyalty and its determinants. This study extends the understanding of tourist loyalty development. The model proposed in this study was tested among the various group of tourist in two different destinations in Thailand. Hence, the results could be generalized over a different group of international tourists and different types of destination. The results of this study are also adding to existing tourism literature by examining the moderating roles of tourist demographic profile and trip characteristics on the relationships of destination loyalty and its determinants. These findings suggest that the success of the efforts of destination management organizations (DMOs) to attract repeat tourists hinges on building tourist satisfaction. The results of the moderating role of tourist’s gender, age, and type of destination suggest that specific segmentation of tourist should be made according to these variables. DMOs should consider different types of destination marketing and management strategies for each group. DMOs can customize holiday experiences such as traveling packages, tourism events, travel activities, and services offered at the destination according to the demand of different targeted tourist market. |
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Doctor of Philosophy in Management (Publication code = SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Do Ba Khang (Co-Chairperson);Vimolwan Yukongdi (Co-Chairperson) |
| Examination Committee(s) | Donyaprueth Krairit;Vilas Nitivattananon; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Rajamangala University of Technology, Isan, Thailand; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2017 |