The effects of push and pull travel motivations, personal values, and destination familiarity on tourist loyalty: a study of Chinese cigar tourists to Cuba

ABSTRACT

This study examined Chinese cigar tourists’ motivations for visiting Cuba. Six push factors and five pull factors were identified using a push–pull factor framework. The effects of travel motivations, personal values, and destination familiarity on tourist loyalty were examined using a sample of 348 Chinese cigar tourists. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that unique experience seeking (a push factor) and destination-specific attractions and socialistic nostalgia (pull factors) predicted revisit intention; socialistic nostalgia also predicted willingness to recommend. Destination familiarity was found to influence revisit intention but not willingness to recommend. Personal values appeared unrelated to tourist loyalty.

KEYWORDS:

• Travel motivation
• personal value
• destination familiarity
• tourist loyalty
• push and pull factors
• Chinese tourist
• cigar tourism
• luxury consumption
• cigar consumption
• Cuba

Acknowledgement

Dr. Jun Wen is the leading author for the paper with support from co-author Professor Sam Huang. Specifically, Dr. Jun Wen collected the data and wrote the first draft of the paper; Professor Huang reviewed, modified and edited the paper. A rough estimation of the work would be 60:40.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.