Moving beyond visitor satisfaction to loyalty in nature-based tourism: a review and research agenda

Nature-based tourism is increasing worldwide and with it the opportunity to engage these visitors to support and advocate for the protection of natural areas. Loyalty research over the last decade provides a platform for action. Analysing loyalty as an important focus for nature-based tourism research and then proposing a research agenda are the aims of this paper. These aims are achieved by (1) reviewing the place of satisfaction and its relationship to loyalty in nature-based tourism research; (2) analysing recent loyalty and related behavioural intentions research; and (3) proposing a research agenda to further progress loyalty research. Conducting field-based experiments to determine the influence of improving service quality on loyalty and further investigating a suite of items of varying commitment for measuring loyalty (from recommending a destination to others to volunteering to work there) are pivotal to the proposed agenda. Also central are further elaborating and testing the measurement model for loyalty, with place attachment and pursuit of benefits, such as escaping from everyday life and appreciating nature, suggested as promising antecedents to loyalty. The importance of natural areas to society warrants urgent attention to the loyalty-centred research agenda detailed in this paper.     

An investigation of service quality,customer satisfaction and loyalty in China's airline market

Customer loyalty is a source of competitive advantage and an important intangible asset to any organisations, but empirical evidence from China's airline market regarding the determinants of passenger satisfaction and loyalty is lacking. This paper investigates the service quality of four major airlines in China's domestic market and explores the links between their service quality and customer satisfaction, as well as the conditions under which airlines can retain existing passengers. In line with previous studies, service quality variables are significant factors influencing customer satisfaction levels. However, satisfactory service was not found to result in higher customer loyalty among business travellers. In comparison to Hainan Airlines, passengers who travelled with Air China, China Southern and China Eastern were more likely to switch to an alternate carrier, indicating lower levels of brand loyalty. In addition, the frequent flyer programs (FFPs) have been largely a failure for the four major airlines in terms of increasing customer loyalty, as revealed in this study. It is necessary to draw distinctions between business and leisure travellers when studying the determinants of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Ticket pricing had a positive and significant effect on passengers' overall satisfaction and in turn strengthened customer loyalty among leisure travellers, but achieved no impact on the satisfaction and loyalty of business passengers. Some demographic variables such as gender, income and education are statistically significant for one group of passengers but not for another in the probit models estimated. It is suggested that different marketing strategies may be used to target different market segments to improve customer loyalty.     

An exploration of the effects of past experience and tourist involvement on destination loyalty formation

Gaining the loyalty of visitors is one of the main challenges of destinations. Previous studies generally agree that satisfaction is the key driver of tourist loyalty. However, it is necessary to conduct a more thorough study of destination loyalty formation by exploring the role of other variables as direct antecedents of loyalty and as moderators of the satisfaction–loyalty relationship. With this in mind, this study examines the influences of two variables that are especially relevant in the study of consumer behaviour in tourism: past experience and involvement. The results obtained from a sample of 807 tourists visiting a destination in Spain suggest that (1) satisfaction and past experience have a significant influence on loyalty; (2) it is necessary to separately consider the two dimensions of loyalty (i.e. the intention to return to a destination and the intention to recommend it) to understand loyalty formation; and (3) past experience is a quasi-moderator variable as it directly influences tourist loyalty and moderates the satisfaction–loyalty relationship. The findings of this research may help managers make decisions about market segmentation and guide the marketing efforts to gain loyal tourists.     

Love and Satisfaction Drive Persistent Stickiness: Investigating International Tourist Hotel Brands

Switching resistance loyalty manifests in persistent stickiness to the incumbent brand as the sole choice in the presence of other attractive alternatives. Empirically, it is the crucial determinant of retaining customers for long duration. However, specific drivers of such loyalty in the hospitality and tourism brand categories are still unclear. The current study, integrating the brand love and customer satisfaction paradigms, addresses this issue with a focus on international tourist hotel brands. Brand love proves to be a powerful driver of switching resistance loyalty toward the hotel brand. Noteworthy, overall customer satisfaction serves to reinforce the loyalty‐driving effect of brand love. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting airline passengers’ loyalty using artificial neural network theory

The study explores a model for predicting airline loyalty using the antecedents indicated in previous studies. Data was collected using a questionnaire distributed to 614 domestic air passengers using the snowball sampling method. The measurement tool had 16 scale items constructed on the recommendations of previous studies. Passenger satisfaction, airline service quality, passenger perceived value, and airline image are identified as determinants for airline loyalty. The predictive analytical approach of Artificial Neural Network theory and covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling for determining causality is employed in the study. The artificial neural network model predicts airline loyalty with 89% accuracy. Sensitivity analysis suggests passenger satisfaction as the most significant predictor of airline loyalty. The causal study supports that passenger satisfaction mediates the relationship between airline service quality and airline loyalty.     

The moderating roles of risk and efficiency on the relationship between logistics performance and customer loyalty in e-commerce

Using data from online customer ratings, we explore how the relationships between logistics performance and customer loyalty are affected by risk characteristics of products and efficiencies of the websites. Risk is defined in terms of price and ambiguity of products. Efficiency is interpreted as the ability of the websites to achieve good ratings in terms of operational factors (such as satisfaction of customers with product specifications, refunds/returns, prices, management accessibility, etc.) and also achieve good ratings in terms of customer loyalty. Our results show that efficiency, but not risk, is a significant moderator of the impact of logistics performance on customer loyalty.     

Customer satisfaction and loyalty to Alpine ski resorts: the moderating effect of lifestyle,spending and customers' skiing skills

Customer satisfaction and loyalty are key drivers of performance. However, there is increasing evidence that good attribute performance and high overall satisfaction do not always automatically lead to higher loyalty. In this paper, we put forward a study on customer satisfaction and loyalty to Alpine ski resorts. We analyse the moderating effects of three important factors in the attribute performance–overall satisfaction–loyalty relationship: lifestyle, consumer spending and customers' skiing skills in a sample of 6172 skiers. The results show that all studied variables have a moderating effect. The findings have implications on both theory and practice. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of service quality and price on passengers' loyalty towards low-cost airlines: The Southeast Asia perspective

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of service quality by adopting AIRQUAL model and price on passengers' loyalty through the linkage of passengers' satisfaction toward low-cost airlines from the perspective of Southeast Asia. With 200 questionnaires analyzed, the results suggest that service quality and price have a positive significant impact on passenger satisfaction, and as a result lead to passengers’ loyalty. Besides, the findings of this research also confirm the mediating role of customer satisfaction between service quality and loyalty, price and loyalty separately, which implies that customer satisfaction is a vital factor for an LCCs to survive in such a highly competitive aviation market.     

Investigating the effects of a shared bike for tourism use on the tourist experience and its consequences

ABSTRACT

As public bike-sharing systems have been widely set up in cities around the world, a shared bike for tourism use can enhance tourists’ experience at destinations and lead to tourists’ post-visit evaluations. Thus, this research explores the attributional effects of the value of using shared bikes (namely, instrumental value and affective value) on tourists’ emotional experience (namely, hedonics and perceived uniqueness) as well as on satisfaction and destination loyalty. We obtain a sample of 302 tourists using shared bikes as transport modes during their visits to examine the proposed relationship model. Results show that both instrumental and affective values of shared bike use positively relate to hedonics and perceived uniqueness experiences. While both hedonics and perceived uniqueness have positive effects on satisfaction, only perceived uniqueness shows a positive effect on destination loyalty. The findings of multi-group analyses indicate that the direct effects of the tourism experience on destination loyalty are significantly positive for the low-motivation group but not for the high-motivation group. Empirical implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed herein.     

The influence of tourists' emotional experiences on destination loyalty from the perspective of community economy

Community research has been a significant topic in various fields over time. This study (a) constructs a structural equation model for hypothetical community relationships between six factors: tourist interaction, positive emotional experience, general emotional experience, tourists' subjective well-being, tourist satisfaction, and tourist destination loyalty, and (b) examines the impact of tourists' emotional experiences on their destination loyalty by taking community members as the main survey objects. The results show that tourist emotional experiences have a positive impact on tourists' loyalty. Finally, taking Guilin's evolution into a world-class tourism city as an example, we propose suggestions on the development of community tourism.     

Up in Smoke? The Impact of Smog on Risk Perception and Satisfaction of International Tourists in Beijing

This research explored the perceptions of on‐site international tourists towards the smog in Beijing. A scale measuring the degree of tourists' concern about smog conditions was developed. The links among smog concern, risk perception, trip satisfaction and destination loyalty were tested with a structural equation model. Direct relationships were found for the hypothesized effects of smog concern on risk perception and satisfaction. Further, the influence of risk perception on reducing satisfaction as well as the role of satisfaction in forming revisit intention (loyalty) was identified. The broad concerns of this study are applicable across all key Chinese tourism cities visited by international tourists. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Visitors’ brand loyalty to a historical and cultural theme park: a case study of Hangzhou Songcheng,China

Conducting research on the factors affecting brand loyalty to theme parks is an important method for enhancing brand loyalty among tourists. This paper takes the Hangzhou Songcheng historical and cultural theme park as a case study. Hypotheses are proposed and structural equation model is constructed based on tourist perception theory. Findings show that theme park brand satisfaction is related to brand loyalty through brand attachment and historical and cultural performance. The quality of facilities and attractions has no significant correlation with perceived value and brand satisfaction. The service quality of attendants also has no significant correlation with tourist perceived value.     

Does Consumers' Feeling Affect Their Quality of Life? Roles of Consumption Emotion and Its Consequences

Emphasizing the importance of attendees' consumption emotion, this study investigates the impact of festival attendees' consumption emotion on their psychological outcomes such as satisfaction, perceived quality of life and loyalty toward the festival. Structural equation modeling is used to test the dynamics of festival attendees' consumption behavior and its consequences. Results of this study indicate that festival attendees' emotional behavior has a positive relationship with their overall satisfaction, which is identified as a key predictor for their loyalty and quality of life. The study's theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed in detail along with its limitations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigating the Attractiveness of an Emerging Long‐Haul Destination: Implications for Loyalty

Although several studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between destination attractiveness and loyalty, most published research has focused on travellers from geographically close markets and on mature destinations. This study adopts a demand‐side perspective to investigate these concepts for an emerging long‐haul destination (South Africa). A survey was conducted among a sample of Italian tourists to explore the determinants of destination attractiveness and to investigate the effect of destination attractiveness on tourists' loyalty. Moreover, this study considers the moderating role of previous travel experience on the relationship between attractiveness and loyalty. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Symbolic,Experiential and Functional Consumptions of Heritage Tourism Destinations: The Case of Angkor World Heritage Site,Cambodia

This study empirically investigates the effects of three destination consumptions (namely symbolic, experiential and functional) on tourists' destination attachment and satisfaction, and further on destination loyalty at a heritage tourism destinations. Using a sample of 512 international tourists visiting Angkor, Cambodia, results reveal that all three types of consumptions have significantly positive effects on destination attachment and satisfaction, which in turn positively affect destination loyalty. However, the effects of symbolic consumption and experiential consumption are greater than that of functional consumption. The results also support the importance of the role of destination attachment in the quality–satisfaction–loyalty relationship. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards a new approach of destination loyalty drivers: satisfaction,visit intensity and tourist motivations

This study explores the linear and non-linear effects of previous experiences in a tourist destination (satisfaction and visit intensity) on the intention to return and to make a positive recommendation to others. We also consider the external drivers or the appeal of the destination as well as individuals' internal drivers as moderating factors in intensity–loyalty and satisfaction–loyalty relations. The analysis conducted on a sample of 687 tourists in a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spain supports a non-linear effect of satisfaction on the intention to return. Moreover, time intense and expenditure intense visits positively impact the intention to return when the motivation for the trip is internal, yet have a negative effect if tourist motives are external.     

Perceptions of premium service and superiority: Why do customers pay more for high-value-added domestic airline services in Japan?

This paper clarifies the factors influencing customers' perceptions of premium service and superiority for high-value-added domestic airline services in Japan, and explains how these perceptions impact customer loyalty.To gather data for the analysis of consumers' perceptions, a questionnaire survey of 515 respondents who use high-value-added domestic airline services was conducted. These respondents' data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.The most valuable finding is the distinction between the perceptions of premium service and superiority, both of which strongly influence customer loyalty. This finding has two important implications. First, staff correspondence has a strong influence on customer loyalty – not directly, but through customers' perceptions of premium service and superiority. Second, perceptions of premium service and superiority influence customer loyalty separately. This finding may assist in the development of innovative high-value-added services.     

Service quality and customer satisfaction of a UAE-based airline: An empirical investigation

This paper investigates the linkages among service quality, service provider image, customer expectations, perceived value, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in a Dubai-based airline. Initially, the determinants of service quality were identified utilizing the SERVQUAL framework with some modification. Service quality was then used as an antecedent to measure customer satisfaction, a condition which can bring about brand loyalty. In a research initiative using a quantitative approach, data from 253 questionnaires was analyzed. Using structure equation modeling, the data analysis suggests that service quality, perceived value, and brand image have a positive significant impact on customer satisfaction, which can in turn lead to brand loyalty. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

The effects of landscape fascination on subjective well-being and revisit intention: Evidence from agritourism destinations

This study adopted the reasonable person model (RPM) in the context of agritourism to identify tourists' preferences for features of agricultural landscapes; to examine the effects of agritourism landscape's fascination on subjective well-being and destination attachment, which in turn influence tourists' loyal behaviors; and to investigate the moderating effects of farm types. The quantitative and qualitative approaches were combined to obtain 1118 usable samples. The results validated the RPM by identifying the predictive power of landscape fascination, subjective well-being, and destination attachment on tourists' destination loyalty. Managerial implications for enhancing visitors' retentions in Taiwan were discussed.     

Antecedents of airline passenger loyalty: Low-cost versus traditional airlines

This study identifies the antecedents of airline user loyalty. A survey is administered to users of three airlines operating Barcelona–London flights. The results show that the principal antecedent of conative loyalty is affective loyalty. The main antecedents of affective loyalty are satisfaction and trust, the latter being revealed as a key variable for guaranteeing the success of relationships between the airline and its users, and also for understanding long term purchasing behavior.