Individual factors impacting tourist satisfaction and revisit intention in slow tourism cities: an extended model

Abstract

Purpose

Postpandemic efforts to rebuild have steered the global economy toward a more sustainable trajectory. It is imperative to acknowledge the pressing need for further enhancements in the sustainable development of the tourism industry. This study aims to examine the influence of personal factors, including environmental concern, cultural interest, travel lifestyle and involvement, on tourist satisfaction and revisit intention, using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as its framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was gathered through surveys conducted in three of Türkiye’s most famous slow travel destinations: Seferihisar, Gökçeada and Akyaka. The analysis was carried out using SPSS and SmartPLS software, with subsequent structural model testing.

Findings

This study presents an extended model that incorporates four individual factors, tourist satisfaction, TPB and revisit intention. All hypotheses have been rigorously tested, and the model accounts for 60.4% of the variance in revisit intention. The findings are comprehensively discussed in this article, supported by relevant theoretical frameworks.

Research limitations/implications

Future research avenues could delve into the evolution of slow tourism in both developed and developing countries, assess disparities in revisit intentions between slow tourism and mass tourism destinations and investigate the prospects of sustainable tourism development in the postpandemic era.

Originality/value

The authors use the TPB to examine individual factors, tourist satisfaction and revisit intentions, aiming to build an extended model to gain a deeper understanding of the slow tourist decision-making process.

Citation

Baghirov, F., Bozbay, Z. and Zhang, Y. (2023), "Individual factors impacting tourist satisfaction and revisit intention in slow tourism cities: an extended model", International Journal of Tourism Cities, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-05-2023-0094