How experiences with cultural attractions affect destination image and destination loyalty

Abstract

The components and consequences of cultural attraction experiences have received little attention in the extant literature. This research is designed to close this gap by empirically analyzing the effect of the cultural attraction experience on tourist satisfaction, destination image, and loyalty toward the destination. Data were gathered from 331 tourists at four traditional cultural attractions in Indonesia. The percipients were selected using purposive sampling. This research specifies that the experience quality of cultural attraction consists of four dimensions: staff service, uniqueness and learning, peace of mind, and escapism. The results of the SEM-PLS analysis demonstrate that, among the dimensions, uniqueness and learning and the escapism factors are important determinants of overall experience quality. Further, experience quality is a significant driver of tourist satisfaction, the image of the destination, and tourist loyalty towards the destination. The research model and the findings provide practitioners and academics with an improved understanding of the cultural attraction experience and its consequences.