JOURNAL OF TRAVEL RESEARCH, vol.61, no.2, pp.430-453, 2022 (SSCI)
Many studies have modeled several different concepts to explain destination loyalty; however, none have integrated placeoriented (e.g., destination image, place attachment) and people-oriented concepts (e.g., cultural distance, social distance,
and emotional solidarity) for their relative influences on loyalty. The current study tested the influence of destination
image (place-oriented) and perceived distances (people-oriented) as antecedents of place attachment (place-oriented) and
emotional solidarity (people-oriented) for their relative influences on destination loyalty. Survey data collected from both
domestic (n=260) and international (n=250) visitors to a city in Turkey, Antalya, revealed that place-oriented concepts
(cognitive and affective destination images and place attachment) are better predictors of destination loyalty than peopleoriented concepts (cultural distance, social distance, and emotional solidarity). Together, they explain about half of the
variance in destination loyalty, 42% in past loyalty and 60% in future loyalty.