The Effects of Destination Brand Personality on Chinese tourists' Revisit Intention to Glasgow: An Examination across Gender

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the mediating effects of self-congruity between destination brand personality, to revisit intention and heed the moderating effects of gender between self-congruity. Therefore, data were collected through a survey from 226 Chinese outbound tourists in Glasgow city, United Kingdom and was analyzed to provide evidence. Based on the results, the analysis of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using the Smart PLS 3.0 program indicated that self-congruity was mediated partially through destination brand personality and revisit intention. In tourism destination, Aaker five dimension of brand personality model was particularly adapted into practice. However, the model failed to perform an actual self-congruity to mediate all five dimensions (i.e., sincerity, excitement, competence, excitement, sophistication and ruggedness) of destination brand personality and revisit intention. The results revealed that the ideal self-congruity is a mediating effect between destination brand personality (i.e., sincerity and excitement) and revisit intention. Moreover, this study also reported that the moderating role of gender has no effects on self-congruity and revisit intention. No difference was observed between female and male Chinese tourists who rely more on destination brand personality over self-congruity when the impact of symbolic destination brand benefits on their intention to revisit Glasgow was considered. Findings further offer specific implications for both theoretical insight and marketing practice in context of tourism destinations in Glasgow.

Keywords:

• Destination brand personality
• self-congruity
• revisit intention
• Chinese tourists

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by University of Glasgow as part of the Erasmus + ICM programme 2017-1-UK01-KA107-036056.