Place-Oriented or People-Oriented Concepts for Destination Loyalty: Destination Image and Place Attachment versus Perceived Distances and Emotional Solidarity

Tasci A. D., Uslu A., Stylidis D., Woosnam K. M.

JOURNAL OF TRAVEL RESEARCH, vol.61, no.2, pp.430-453, 2022 (SSCI)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 61 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF TRAVEL RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ABI/INFORM, Aerospace Database, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CAB Abstracts, Communication Abstracts, Geobase, Hospitality & Tourism Complete, Metadex, Psycinfo, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.430-453
  • Akdeniz University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

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.