The Effect of Destination Image on Tourists’ Trust, Loyalty and Satisfaction with a Heritage Tourism Destination: A Case Study of Abyaneh, Iran

Tourists’ satisfaction and their loyalty to tourism destinations have been considered as a tool for increasing competitiveness. This study examined the association between destination image, attributes, trust felt for the destination, satisfaction, and destination loyalty. A sample of tourists visiting Abyaneh, an important cultural heritage place in Iran was collected periodically through 2015/16 (n = 521). A self-administrated paper-based questionnaire was used to collect data for this research. The questionnaire contained 21 items and was measured with a five-point Likert scale. Data collection is complete and analysis is ongoing. Principal component analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were used to confirm the factor structure of each study construct and the internal consistency of the factor scales