A Model of Memorable Tourism Experience: The Effects on Satisfaction, Affective Commitment, and Storytelling

Abstract

In the past decade, the positive and memorable tourism experience (MTE) has merged as a critical concept in the hospitality and tourism field. Previous quantitative studies on MTE mainly focus on measurement development and the relationship between MTE and behavioral intention, and they lack the integration of MTE with other core marketing constructs such as satisfaction and affective commitment. Furthermore, storytelling is conceived as central to the tourist experience, but its relationship with MTE has not been empirically investigated. Within such a context, in this study we surveyed 400 tourists who recalled their most recent leisure travel, and empirically investigated the relationships among MTE, satisfaction, affective commitment, and storytelling behavior. The results show that MTE, compared to satisfaction, is a stronger predictor of affective commitment. Moreover, MTE is a more powerful antecedent of tourists' storytelling behavior than affective commitment. The study expanded the overall nomological network related to MTE, which is critical to advancing the experiential view of tourists' experience. It also generated insights for destination branding and marketing.