Linking Destination Brand Personality, Self-congruity and Tourist Behaviour: A Local Spa resort case study

Abstract

This study was designed to explore the relationship between destination brand personality, self-congruity and the behavioral intentions of tourists at a local spa resort. The findings indicate that domestic tourists (N=232) of the spa resort attribute personal characteristics to the destination, and the brand personality of this resort is a combination of five dimensions which positively correlate with the tourists’ intentions to return to and recommend the location. The results of the study also confirm that the self-congruity theory can be applied to a spa destination, as positive relationships between all four self-congruity dimensions and intentions to recommend were found. However, our research reveals that there is negative though insignificant correlation between social self-congruity and intention to return.

A Theoretical Framework to Explain the Impact of Destination Personality, Self-Congruity, and Tourists’ Emotional Experience on Behavioral Intention

“…Su & Hsu, 2013). However, based on literature review, the weak relationship between self-congruity and tourists' behavioral intention to revisit and recommend has been reported (Giraldi, 2013;Kastenholz, 2004;Rutelione et al, 2018). To achieve this aim, we proposed tourists' emotional experience of joy, love, and positive surprise in the present study as the moderator that is able to strengthen and support the relationship between self-congruity and tourists' behavioral intention to revisit and recommend.…”

“…In conjunction with the above, N. Su and Reynolds (2017) discovered that only the DPS dimension of sophistication was omitted, whereas the other four dimensions are deemed applicable in hospitality industry in the United States. More recently, increasing literature has witnessed the application of destination personality to alternative tourism contexts such as spa tourism (Rutelione et al, 2018); Islamic historical tourism (Khazaei Pool et al, 2018); tourism real estate products (Z. Liu et al, 2019); and sky lounge (Chua et al, 2019).…”

“…As previously mentioned, most of the recent tourism studies have utilized self-congruity as the mediator between destination personality and behavioral intention to revisit and recommend (Z. Huang et al, 2017;Kiliç & Sop, 2012;Rutelione et al, 2018;N. Su & Reynolds, 2017;Usakli & Baloglu, 2011).…”

Uncertainty Avoidance as a Moderating Factor to the Self-Congruity Concept: The Development of a Conceptual Framework

“…It is also crucial to note that although this theoretical model has been empirically tested in tourism studies for the purpose of predicting tourists' behavioral intention, only a weak relationship between self-congruity and revisit intention has, so far, been demonstrated (Giraldi, 2013;Kastenholz, 2004;Rutelione et al, 2018). Accordingly, calls for the discovery of other potential moderators to enhance and support the relationship between self-congruity and revisit intention grow.…”

“…Accordingly, calls for the discovery of other potential moderators to enhance and support the relationship between self-congruity and revisit intention grow. More importantly, numerous existing studies (e.g., Huang et al, 2017;Kılıç & Sop, 2012;Kim et al, 2017;Rutelione et al, 2018;Sirgy & Su, 2000;Usakli & Baloglu, 2011; have theorized the interrelationship between destination personality, self-congruity, and revisit intention but most of the studies failed to attach uncertainty avoidance in their conceptualization. Surprisingly, it has been found that uncertainty avoidance is strongly associated with revisit intention (Matzler et al, 2016;Seo et al, 2018).…”