Transforming tourists’ intentions through destination engagement: insights from transformative learning theory

ABSTRACT

Tourist-based destination engagement (TBDE) has emerged as a strategically significant concept to endure the destination-tourist relationship; however, identifying its related constructs is still nascent. We develop an integrative model for TBDE by identifying destination experience, destination attachment, and destination authenticity as antecedents of TBDE and destination advocacy as its consequence. We also propose a new association by investigating the direct and indirect relationship of TBDE on destination advocacy through destination satisfaction. Finally, findings were discussed conforming to transformative learning theory by relating it to TBDE and its modeled constructs. The results reveal a positive influence of all the identified drivers on TBDE and TBDE’s positive impact on destination advocacy. Moreover, destination satisfaction emerges as a mediator by supporting the positive indirect relationship between TBDE and destination advocacy. Implications for theory and practice are suggested for the tourism industry, which the tourism organizations may utilize to foster TBDE and sustain the tourist-destination relationships.

基于旅游的目的地参与（TBDE）已成为一个具有战略意义的概念，以维持目的地 – 旅游关系;然而，确定其相关结构仍处于萌芽阶段。我们通过确定目的地体验、目的地依恋和目的地真实性作为TBDE和目的地倡导的前提，为TBDE开发了一个综合模型。我们还通过调查TBDE通过目的地满意度在目的地倡导方面的直接和间接关系，提出了一个新的关联。最后，讨论了符合变革性学习理论的研究结果，将其与TBDE及其建模结构联系起来。结果显示，所有确定的驱动因素对TBDE产生了积极影响，TBDE对目的地宣传产生了积极影响。此外，通过支持TBDE与目的地倡导之间的积极间接关系，目的地满意度成为一种调解人。对旅游业提出了理论和实践的影响，旅游组织可以利用这些影响来促进TBDE并维持旅游目的地关系。

KEYWORDS:

• Customer engagement
• destination engagement
• transformative learning theory
• destination advocacy
• tourist satisfaction

关键字:

• 客户参与
• 目的地互动
• 变革性学习理论
• 目的地宣传
• 游客满意度

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).