THE EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DESTINATION IMAGERY ON WORD OF MOUTH THROUGH VISITOR SATISFACTION AT GANTANG RANI SEMBAHE TOURISM OBJECTS IN SIBOLANGIT SUBDISTRICT, INDONESIA

Current technological advances require each sector to change following market developments especially in the tourism industry. Local tourism objects have emerged to the surface and are demanded to be able to adjust their services to the desires and needs of visitors who are expected to be able to increase visitor satisfaction and a positive image of a tourist attraction and attract potential new tourists to visit. The purpose of this study was to look at the effect of individual characteristics and destination image on word of mouth through visitor satisfaction at the Gantang Rani Sembahe Nature Baths in Sibolangit sub-district. This type of research is associative with quantitative methods. The sampling technique used in this study is nonprobability sampling with accidental sampling type. Data collection techniques used questionnaires and interviews. The results of the first Sub Structure test in this study shows that individual characteristics have a positive and significant effect on visitor satisfaction. Destination image has a positive and significant effect on visitor satisfaction. The results of the second Sub-Structure test show that individual characteristics have no positive and significant influence on word of mouth. Destination image has a positive and significant effect on word of mouth. Visitor satisfaction has a positive and significant impact on word of mouth. Furthermore, visitor satisfaction is able to mediate between individual characteristic variables with word of mouth. The last hypothesis shows that the visitor satisfaction variable is not able to mediate between destination image variables and word of mouth. Based on the results of this study, the Gantang Rani natural bath has the potential to be the best tourist attraction in the Sibolangit Region because it is able to follow trends and continue to innovate in accordance with the development of the situation. JEL: L80; L83; L8