Self-identification with a heritage tourism site, visitors’ engagement and destination loyalty: the mediating effects of overall satisfaction

ABSTRACT

This study assesses a conceptual model that postulates relationships between self-identification with a heritage site, engagement at the site, overall satisfaction and destination loyalty. The study contributes to the limited literature examining visitor engagement and its relationship with several other psychological variables. A survey of visitors in Petra, Jordan resulted in 249 useable questionnaires. The results confirm that self-identification with a heritage tourism site has a positive relationship with both overall satisfaction and visitor engagement. Overall satisfaction has a strong and positive relationship with destination loyalty. Visitor engagement has a positive relationship with destination loyalty. Implications for managing the heritage site and destination are offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Visitor engagement
• self-identification
• overall satisfaction
• destination loyalty
• heritage tourism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Ziad Alrawadieh http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3809-675X

Girish Prayag http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6243-2747

Zaid Alrawadieh http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8355-9958

Motasem Alsalameen http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7196-5665