Paradise for who? Segmenting visitors' satisfaction with cognitive image and predicting behavioural loyalty

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to assess the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on destination image and loyalty, thereby offering a segmentation perspective of visitors to the island of Mauritius. A self-administered survey of hotel guests was undertaken and resulted in a sample of 705 respondents. Using a k-means clustering algorithm and discriminant analysis, three clusters of visitors were identified. Different image attributes predict visitors' revisit and recommendation intentions. These findings allow destination marketers to adapt the marketing mix elements to different segments while enabling a destination to emphasize the relevant attributes in promotion and positioning efforts. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.