An examination of tourists' attitudinal and behavioral loyalty: Comparison between domestic and international tourists

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents of tourists' loyalty (both attitudinal and behavioral) towards Chiangmai (a major tourist destination in Thailand). Multiple regression analysis indicated that attitudinal loyalty was mainly driven by attachment, familiarity and perceived value, whereas behavioral loyalty is driven by familiarity. Only one dimension of pull motivation (history, heritage and knowledge) influenced attitudinal loyalty, whereas none of pull motivation's dimensions had an effect on behavioral loyalty. Regarding push motivation, tourists' desire for novelty negatively influenced behavioral loyalty. Finally, male tourists tended to be more attitudinally and behaviorally loyal, while tourists who had children living with them showed less attitudinal loyalty.