Destination Image and Loyalty: Comparison between Asia Pacific and European Tourists in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Destination Image (DI) and tourists’ Destination Loyalty (DL) have been attractive topics in tourism discourse though comparisons of different tourist groups are dearth. It is questionable whether DI and behavioral intentions remain same within different groups from different regions. Tourism is a booming industry and plays a crucial role in Sri Lankan economic growth. Western Europe has been the traditional source market for the post-colonial Sri Lankan tourism industry. The emerging trends display that tourists from Asia Pacific region overtake the traditional markets. Amidst this background, this study attempts to explore the difference between Sri Lankan Destination Loyalty among Asia Pacific and European tourists. It is expected to clarify the knowledge and empirical gaps in the destination loyalty discourse while providing recommendations to direct destination marketing efforts of post-war growing tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Study is based on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire using convenience sampling of 286 tourists; 143 from each region. Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling in Smart PLS3. Tourists were highly satisfied with the existing level of cognitive destination image and affective destination image though significant differences are observed in specific features between two regions. The study argues that the destination marketers have to customize their plans and approaches to be more effective in different tourist markets.

Keywords: Destination Image, Destination Loyalty, Asia Pacific Tourists, European Tourists

JEL Classification: M10, M16, M20, M21, O10