Models of Destination Loyalty at Heritage Sites: Are We There Yet?

Abstract

Tourism heritage sites benefited in the last years from a consistent attention from scholars trying to explain when, why and how visitors form a destination loyalty. As a result, numerous models and variables in different roles were proposed. This paper aims at critically review the literature and argue for four directions of action. One argues for a need to explore in-depth the nature of the link between certain variables, and explaining the decision of using in new contexts less dimensions of the same construct tested in previous literature, before proposing a new comprehensive model. A second one pertains to building a volume of empirical data and arguments why previous models or variables does not apply to a certain context. Another one championships the idea of creating a taxonomy of categories inside the context of heritage sites more homogenous in nature, followed by the need to build models operating inside the different types of heritage tourism based on different tourists’ satisfied needs, different resources, different motivations to visit and activities proposed at heritage sites. We also bring empirical evidence from visitors of 20 different heritage sites measuring place attachment, destination loyalty and other variables contextual in nature, using correlation and regression analysis to support the theoretical conclusions. Almost half of the variance registered in visitors’ destination loyalty was explained by place dependence (as a functional dimension of place attachment), the level of national identification strength and perceived role of reenactment in enhancing patriotic feelings at heritage sites.