The formation of destination attachment and its role in destination loyalty

What makes people come back?

The consequences of destination attachment have been studied, but the formation process remains elusive. While previous research demonstrates a link from destination attachment to destination loyalty, it has mostly focused on repeat intention of tourists rather than actual repeat tourists, which limits their validity.

Addressing these research gaps, this research explores the formation process of destination attachment, including:

• the role of destinations, and
• the underlying emotional and psychological processes of repeat tourists.

The project encompasses two qualitative interview studies: with destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and with repeat international tourists to British Columbia, Canada, a nature-based destination. Nature-based destinations are chosen for their potential for high destination attachment and their particular interest among international tourists since the pandemic.

Funding

This project is funded by the British Academy.