Inertia Stages and Tourists' Behavior

Abstract

This article integrates the concept of inertia into a tourism context to understand how repeat visitors act and make revisit decisions. Moderating effect of zone of tolerance (ZOT), switching barriers (SWI) and external opportunity (OPP) on the sequential development of inertial behavior was analyzed through 518 tourists. Findings confirm that cognitive inertia (COGI) and affective inertia (AFFI) are significantly and positively related to conative inertia (CONI), while conative inertia also has a direct effect on determining action inertia (ACTI). The tests of moderating effects of zone of tolerance, switching barriers and external opportunity on the sequential development of inertial behavior show these variables have a significant moderating effect on the sequential development of inertia, except for the relation between switching barriers and affective inertia acting together, and conative inertia. These findings provide valuable insights that enable one to understand tourists' revisit behaviors. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed, for the purpose of advancing tourism marketing discourse.