SATISFACTION AS A BRIDGE TO LOYALTY IN A TOURIST DESTINATION

This study examines the mediating role of satisfaction between destination image and destination loyalty, and novelty seeking and destination loyalty. The research model is developed on the basis of previous studies in the fields of marketing and tourism. A structural equation model tests data collected from international tourists who visited Nha Trang, Vietnam. The results indicate that four dimensions of cognitive image (culture and social, environment, infrastructure and accessibility, and local food), affective image, and novelty seeking are the important and direct antecedents of satisfaction and destination loyalty, and that satisfaction mediates the relationships among destination image, novelty seeking, and destination loyalty. Theoretical and managerial implications are drawn based on the study's findings, and recommendations for further research arc made.