The influences of destination quality on tourists\u27 destination loyalty: An investigation of an island destination

Destination quality is an important element of tourist perception towards the destination, and it may affect tourists\u27 decision to revisit the destination. In an island destination, the quality of beach attraction (scenery and cleanliness) has been argued to contribute to tourists\u27 satisfaction and their likelihood to revisit the destination. However, little effort has been made to find out if there are other additional dimensions of destination quality (besides beach attraction) contributing to tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty in the island destinations. This study, therefore, aims to examine the influences of destination quality dimensions on tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty in the context of island destinations. Data were collected from 438 international tourist visiting Phuket through a convenience sampling method, using self-administered questionnaires. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach by AMOS was used to test the effects. The results indicated that destination loyalty dimensions related to beach attraction, people, and safety are the antecedents of tourist loyalty but these relationships are mediated by tourist satisfaction. This research shows that, in the case of island destinations, beach attraction is not the only factor contributing to tourist loyalty but people and safety are also the essential components to retain loyal tourists. Important implications are discussed for promoting island tourism\u27s loyalty