An Examination of Destination Loyalty

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine how first-time and repeat visitors develop loyalty differently. 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) repeat visitors reported higher levels of revisit and referral intentions (used to infer destination loyalty) compared with first-time visitors and (b) previous experiences moderated the relationship between tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty—satisfaction played a more important role in leading to loyalty for first-timers than for repeaters. The theoretical and managerial implications were drawn based on the study findings, and recommendations for future researchers were made.