Creating Cultural Tourism Loyalty: The Effect of the City`s Lasting Experience, Cultural Connection and Tourist Participation in Masouleh

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 MSc Student in Strategic Management, Rahbord Shomal University, Rasht, Iran

3 PHD Student in Business policy, Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

Background: Tourist loyalty to tourist cities such as Masouleh can have many benefits. For example, the consumption of goods and services produced by residents of tourist cities, job creation in tourism-related service industries such as restaurants, transportation, hotels, etc. can be examples of these benefits.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the creation of loyalty in cultural tourism using sustainable experience, cultural communication and tourist participation.
Methodology: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of this study consists of tourists in Masouleh and natives of Guilan province. Due to the nature of the community, SPSS Sample Power software was used to determine the optimal sample size, of which 431 people were considered as a sample. Necessary data were collected using a questionnaire with a range of 5 options (strongly disagree to strongly agree) and to analyze the data from SPSS and Smart PLS 3 software and structural equation modeling (SEM) with partial least squares method to examine the conceptual pattern of the research. The present research model is divided into two levels; the measurement model (reliability, factor loading, convergent validity and divergent validity) and the structural model (coefficient of determination, coefficient of predictive power, t-statistic) are fitted and then the research hypotheses are tested.
Results: According to the results of data analysis, six hypotheses were confirmed and one hypothesis was rejected; Testing the hypotheses showed that tourist participation affects the variables of cultural communication and the tourist's lasting experience. The variable of cultural connection affects the lasting experience of the tourist. Also, the cultural relationship variable plays a mediating role between the relationship between tourist participation and the tourist's lasting experience. The lasting experience of the tourist also affects the variables of intention to travel again and intention to recommend to others; But the effect of being indigenous or non-indigenous did not make a difference on the research results. After quantitative analysis of the model, the researchers analyzed the model results in two consecutive sessions in the form of a focus group with the presence of eight tourists from Masouleh. When tourists have participated in cultural activities, this participation has enabled them to establish a close relationship with the tourist destination and their hosts.
Conclusion: "Tourist participation" explained 83% of the changes in "cultural communication" and the effectiveness of this effect was confirmed at a significance level of 99.9%. "Tourist participation" explained 64% of the changes in "sustainable tourist experience" and its effect was confirmed at a significance level of 99.9%. "Cultural relevance" explains 20% of the changes in the "sustainable tourist experience", in addition this impact has also been confirmed at the 99.9% confidence level. "Sustainable tourist experience" explained 76% of the changes of "intention to travel again" and 73% of changes of "intention to advise others" and this effect was confirmed at 99% confidence level.

Highlights

In the global economy, tourists determine the survival of tourist areas, countries can no longer be indifferent to the expectations and desires and attitudes of domestic and foreign tourists and must spend all their activities and capabilities to create satisfaction, positive experience and pleasant feelings.

When tourists have participated in cultural activities, this participation has enabled them to establish a close relationship with the place of tourism and their hosts.

Keywords

References

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Urban Planning Knowledge
Volume 5, Issue 2
June 2021
Pages 113-132

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History

  • Receive Date: 29 July 2019
  • Revise Date: 28 October 2019
  • Accept Date: 08 April 2020

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