Symmetric and asymmetric analysis of tourist behavioral intention's antecedents

Abstract

This paper aims to test the effect of structural relations between memorable tourism experience, destination brand personality, destination place attachment and tourist satisfaction on tourist behavioral intention within a theoretical model. Two different methods were applied for research purposes. First, structural equation modeling was used to analyze linear effects and relationships. Afterwards, as part of asymmetric analysis, fsQCA was used to reveal sufficient and necessary configurations to predict tourist behavioral intention. The results indicate that tourists’ future intentions can be predicted by both symmetric and asymmetric models. Linear analysis demonstrated that memorable tourism experience has positive effects on brand personality, attachment, satisfaction and consequently on intention of tourists. Thereafter, asymmetric analysis revealed that satisfaction was necessary for intention, whereas memorable tourism experience, attachment and brand personality were sufficient for intention. While fsQCA provides a supplementary perspective to the structural model, results indicate mediating relationships and configurational variations of research variables.