Destination loyalty: Effects of wine tourists’ experiences, memories, and satisfaction on intentions

Abstract

The present study analyzed survey data from 970 tourists to evaluate their Lake Erie wine region experience. Using structural equation modeling, an adapted scale of the experience economy’s 4Es (i.e. educational, esthetic, entertainment, and escapist experiences) proved reliable and valid for measuring rural wine tourism. This study contributes new information to research examining the 4Es applied to tourism venues by showing the 4Es’ impact on tourist response to loyalty for an entire destination. Structural modeling demonstrated the dominance of the esthetic experience in predicting positive memories and destination loyalty in the wine tourism context. Education played a significant but lesser role in creating memories and satisfaction but not in destination loyalty. Although the esthetic experience’s preeminence was consistent with other findings, these results contradict Pine and Gilmore’s assertion that simultaneous incorporation of the 4Es is necessary.