Tourists’ satisfaction plays an important role in their decision to return to their previous destinations. The complexity of the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty, however, has been increasingly acknowledged in marketing thought and practice. The objective of this study is to explore and test the combined roles of perceived risk and destination knowledge in the satisfaction-loyalty intention relationship. The results indicate the direct effects of perceived risk on visitors’ satisfaction and loyalty intentions. Furthermore, perceived destination knowledge is positively related to visitors’ satisfaction and both the intention to make WOM (word-of-mouth) recommendations and to return. In particular, the effects of visitors’ satisfaction on intention to return and to make WOM recommendations become stronger through the positive moderating effect of perceived destination knowledge. The findings clarify the understanding of how perceived risk and destination knowledge can predict the satisfaction and destination loyalty of tourists. This paper provides a number of managerial implications for communication strategies to improve tourist loyalty. Management implicationsThis study reinforces established ideas for communication strategies to improve European tourist loyalty:Perceived risk is negatively related to both visitors’ satisfaction and the intention to return.Tourists’ satisfaction is positively related to the intention to recommend by WOM.A positive impact on intentional loyalty, perceived destination knowledge helps to increase tourists’ satisfaction.Perceived destination knowledge increases the satisfaction-intention to return/intention to recommend by WOM relationship.