Abstract
In response to the Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom has developed mega entertainment events in different cities, referred to as cities-based entertainment, to diversify the long prevalent oil-dependent economy and change the traditional image of the Kingdom as a sole religious tourism destination. This research develops and tests a conceptual model on the relationship between the quality cities-based entertainment recently provided at the kingdom, and destination image, quality of tourist experience, and tourist satisfaction. More specifically, the research examines the direct influence of quality cities-based entertainment on tourist satisfaction and the indirect influence through destination image and quality of tourist experience. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test structural relationships between the research variables. The results showed a positive and significant influence of event (cities-based entertainment) quality on destination image and on tourist experience quality. However, the results revealed that event—i.e., cities-based entertainment—quality failed to have a direct influence on tourist satisfaction. Hence, destination image and tourist experience quality were found to fully mediate the influence of event quality on tourist satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed and elaborated.
Highlights
The structural model showed a strong correlation of exogenous variables and the endogenous variables, the squared multiple correlations (SMCs) value being 0.35
The results showed that destination image and tourist experience quality fully mediated the impact of event quality on tourist satisfaction, as the direct path was insignificant while the indirect paths were positive and significant as argued by Zhao et al [44], hypotheses Hypothesis 6 (H6), and Hypothesis 7 (H7) were supported
The study tested a conceptual model on the relationship between event quality, destination image, quality of tourist experience, and tourist satisfaction
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Saudi Arabia’s national transformation programs based on the Saudi Vision 2030 aim to bring radical changes in the way the economy functions and operates [1]. One of the most fundamental objectives of these national transformation programs is to empower the nonoil sectors of the economy to diversify the long prevalent oil-dependent economic model in the Kingdom [1]. Among such major non-oil sectors, the tourism industry has a potential contribution to economic growth and development.
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