From Destination Image to Destination Loyalty: Evidence From Recreation Farms in Taiwan

Abstract

With the rising popularity of recreation farms in Taiwan, understanding visitors' behavior is a critical issue. Therefore, this study attempts to establish a model that includes destination image, self-congruity, destination personality, and destination loyalty to clarify the mechanism from image to loyalty. Yilan Shangrila Recreation Farm was selected as the research setting and 326 usable responses were received. The results revealed that destination image shows positive impacts on self-congruity, destination personality, and destination loyalty. However, there was no significant relationship between self-congruity and destination loyalty. Further analysis showed the existence of significant differences between first-time and repeat visitors. The path from destination image to destination personality to destination loyalty can better explain how image leads to loyalty. The findings of this study provide meaningful academic and managerial implications.

休闲农场在台湾正逐渐受到民众喜爱，而了解游客行为模式将成为重要议题。因此，本研究将建立一个包含目的地意象、自我一致性、目的地个性以及目的地忠诚的模式以厘清意象到忠诚之间的脉络机制。本研究以台湾宜兰香格里拉休闲农场为调查场域，针对现场游客进行问卷调查，共收回三百二十六份有效问卷。研究结果显示目的地意象会正向影响自我一致性、目的地个性以及目的地忠诚。然而，自我一致性与目的地忠诚之间并不存在显著关系，惟进一步分析指出，初游者与重游者却有不一样的结果。本研究模式有助于了解意象是如何影响到忠诚，最后提出学术与管理意涵。

Keywords:

• Destination image
• destination personality
• self-congruity
• destination loyalty
• Taiwan's recreation farms

Keywords:

• 目的地意象
• 目的地个性
• 自我一致性
• 目的地忠诚
• 台湾休闲农场

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Chung-Cheng Agriculture Science & Social Welfare Foundation, Taiwan, for financially supporting this research under Contract No. 99-09. Ted Knoy's editorial assitance is appreciated.