Car Tourism in Xinjiang: The Mediation Effect of Perceived Value and Tourist Satisfaction on the Relationship between Destination Image and Loyalty

• Main Authors: Bin Wang, Zhaoping Yang, Fang Han, Hui Shi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-12-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: road trip; destination image; perceived value; tourist satisfaction; destination loyalty; Xinjiang; China
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/1/22

This study aims to test a model linking destination image, perceived value, tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty. Based on a sample of 300 tourists travelling by car from the World Natural Heritage Site of Tianchi, China, a new model of destination image was explored and data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that perceived value and satisfaction are direct antecedents of destination loyalty. Above all, perceived value and tourist satisfaction mediate the relationship between destination image and loyalty. Finally, this study discusses the theoretical and management implications of the findings in order to boost the tourism industry in the context of car trips.