Cognitive-affective-motivation factors influencing international visitors loyalty to South Africa

Abstract

The tourism sector is one of the major vehicles of cultural, social and financial development globally. The sector’s competitive nature is forcing tourism destinations to continuously look for new ways to attract and maintain visitors, especially international visitors to drive economic growth. To maintain global competitiveness, countries and destinations are developing sustainable attractiveness outlook through a more visitor-centric approach. This is being achieved through segment-focused marketing where specific targets are being catered for uniquely. One way of achieving tourism success is through generational theory (by defining generational cohorts/segments) and specific destination loyalty paths. This thesis presents an elaborate understanding of the predictors of destination attractiveness, satisfaction and attachment of international visitors and the paths to visitors’ loyalty. It further elucidates how generational cohorts explain tourists satisfaction, destination trust and destination attachment with South Africa as the destination. The study’s methodology comprised quantitative survey research, with data collected from 390 international visitors to South Africa in quarter four of 2019 (before the lockdown). The comprehensive integrated model was tested and analysed through a two-stage method via structural equation modelling using Mplus. The findings were that destination image does not influence trust and loyalty, but negatively influences satisfaction. Additionally, push-pull motivation elements had a varied effect on destination trust and satisfaction. Visitors’ experience was found to influence both satisfaction and loyalty positively. Visitors’ satisfaction influenced trust positively but not attachment, while destination trust was positively linked with destination attachment and destination attachment positively related with destination loyalty. Lastly, the study found that the young and older adult visitors differ in terms of relationships such as destination image and satisfaction, and satisfaction and attachment. In both cohorts, the study found no difference in terms of image and trust, the push and pull factors; satisfaction and loyalty; and trust and destination attachment. The thesis offers a significant contribution in terms of theory by offering theoretical understanding of the complex relationship among pull and push factors towards tourism destination, destination trust, image, attachment, satisfaction and visitors’ experience and loyalty in a context considered one of the top destinations in Africa. The study further offers a theoretical and empirical understanding of how generational cohorts explain the cognitive, motivation and affective behaviours of tourism visitors. This study shares relevant insights on the relationship between push and pull motivation and trust, which will help the tourism destination managers and marketers to identify what motivates different segments to develop destination attachment and loyalty towards the destination. Lastly, the study is one of the first comprehensive researches into various aspects of destination loyalty and attachment with a specific focus on a strong African tourism destination.