THE STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIPS OF EXPERIENCE QUALITY, TOURIST SATISFACTION AND DESTINATION LOYALTY: THE CASE OF PANGKOR ISLAND, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Previous studies show that a superior tourist experience would lead to travel satisfaction and develop loyalty towards a destination. However, the role and influence of experience quality on tourist behavioural intentions have yet to be thoroughly scrutinized. This study aims at examining the experience quality of Pangkor Island tourists and its effect on their satisfaction and destination loyalty. This research applied the convenience sampling method whereby the survey data were collected conveniently from the tourists visiting Pangkor Island. The data obtained were examined via Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The structural model assessment proposed that the natural attraction of Pangkor Island, the local behaviour, destination value, safety and cleanliness influence the tourists' satisfaction and destination loyalty. This study contributes to a better understanding of how the quality of tourist experience affect their behavioural mechanisms: travel satisfaction and destination loyalty. The research findings contribute to the literature on island tourism and enrich the existing knowledge of experience quality components and their effect on tourists’ satisfaction and destination loyalty.Keywords: Destination loyalty, experience quality, Pangkor Island, satisfaction, Tourist. Cite as: Hanafiah, M. H., Jasmi, A. F., Razali, A. H. M., & Sulaiman, M. S. (2019). The structural relationships of experience quality, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: The case of Pangkor Island, Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 4(1), 186-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol4iss1pp186-210