Destination Loyalty Formation and Travelers’ Demographic Characteristics: A Multiple Group Analysis Approach

Abstract

The objective of the study was to offer a systematic approach to examine the potential differences in loyalty formation process across different demographic groups. A multiple group analysis in LISREL was conducted using data collected from a major tourism destination in the southern United States. The findings revealed that (a) travelers in different age and income segments exhibited no significant difference in their perception of the destination image, levels of satisfaction, or loyalty; (b) travelers in different gender and education segments had different levels of image perception, but they formed comparable level of satisfaction and loyalty across groups; and (c) in spite of the evidenced heterogeneity in the means of some of the latent constructs, the holistic loyalty formation process remained identical across demographic groups. The theoretical and managerial implications were drawn based on the study findings, and recommendations for future researchers were made.