Interlinkage of Perceived Ecotourism Design Affordance, Perceived Value of Destination Experiences, Destination Reputation, and Loyalty

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the relationships between the perceived ecotourism design affordances (PEDA), perceived value of destination experience (PERVAL), destination reputation, and destination loyalty among the tourists visiting Langkawi Island, Malaysia. It extends the affordance theory through the lens of Gestalt theory and ecological dynamics in understanding the interactions between tourists and products derived from their ecotourism environment. A quantitative approach was utilised, in which a structured questionnaire was used to collect 280 tourist responses through purposive sampling. Utilising partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the research hypotheses, it is reported that PEDA significantly impacts PERVAL, where the latter subsequently impacts both destination reputation and loyalty. This illustrates the mediating impacts of PERVAL on the relationship between PEDA and destination reputation and destination loyalty. Another result revealed that destination reputation has a significant effect on destination loyalty. The findings address the gap in the tourism literature centered on the dynamics of product design and its subsequent value in shaping positive ecotourism destination reputation and loyalty. Such insights also emphasise the necessity for tourism stakeholders to generate values from coherent ecotourism product design through the affordance perspective.

Social Media and Influencer Marketing for Promoting Sustainable Tourism Destinations: The Instagram Case

“…A high percentage of destinations still present limited brand awareness in terms of quality among potential tourists [36] who use the internet as their key source of information [37]. Social media platforms can contribute to a traveler's awareness process of different destinations [38].…”

Influential Factors Affecting Tea Tourists’ Behavior Intention in Cultural Ecosystem Services: An Affordance Perspective

“…The third type of analysis revolves around examining the perception of affordances and how such perception influences tourist behavior. For instance, Azinuddin et al [34] conducted a survey on Langkawi Island and found that perceived design affordances significantly impact perceived value, which subsequently affects destination reputation and loyalty in ecotourism. Moreover, Borghini et al [54] revealed that sensory, symbolic, and cognitive affordances within a space evoke feelings of attachment or detachment among customers of their favorite stores.…”

“…Firstly, it employs affordance theory within the context of tea tourism, addressing the call for tourism research that focuses on the tourism experience itself [28,59]. Affordance theory offers a fresh and insightful framework to comprehend how individuals perceive and interact with tourism environment affordance, highlighting the potential for action and the opportunities an environment presents [34,59]. By applying affordance theory to the analysis of tea tourism, this study illuminates the distinctive and multifaceted elements that tea tourists encounter at various tea tourism sites [12].…”

“…Secondly, this study uncovered indicators of tourism environment affordance in the context of tea tourism. Previous research has largely overlooked tourism environment affordance that tourists might perceive as provided by the environment itself [34,97]. Thus, it is necessary and crucial to examine how tourism environment affordance in a specific context could impact subsequent phases.…”

“…Within tea tourism context, various affordances, including tea-related activities, services, and facilities [12] exist in the tea tourism environment as perceived by tea tourists [34]. This perception subsequently influences tourists' behavior intentions [35,36].…”