Attaining digital advocacy behaviour through destination image and satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the consequences of tourism destination image and satisfaction on digital advocacy in a touristic environment. The study also tested the mediation role of satisfaction in the relationship between the tourism destination image and tourists’ advocacy. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a quantitative research design, suing the intercept survey method to collect data from 185 international tourists in New Zealand. The process macro regression method was used to analyse the collected data. Findings The findings from this study are: firstly, the study demonstrates that tourism destination image influenced tourists’ digital advocacy behaviour. Secondly, tourists’ satisfaction significantly changed tourists’ advocacy behaviour. Thirdly, tourists’ satisfaction mediates the relationship between the tourism destination image and tourists’ advocacy behaviour in this study. Research limitations/implications This study examined tourism destination image and satisfaction as predictors of tourist digital advocacy behaviour; the findings have some valuable impacts for organisations, especially the destination marketing organisation’s tourism strategies. The result also implies that customer satisfaction is a predictor of advocacy behaviours; and the need to focus on increasing tourist satisfaction by putting in place well-crafted tourism products and services. Practical implications The finding also implies that customer satisfaction is an important antecedent of advocacy behaviours; and the need to focus on increasing tourist satisfaction by putting in place well-crafted tourism-based strategies. Originality/value This study is one of the few investigations on tourists’ digital advocacy behaviour. The study also assessed the mediating impact of customer satisfaction in the relationship between tourism destination image and tourists’ advocacy behaviour, an area, which suffers from a languor of research.