Loyalty and Motivations in Coastal Cities in the post-Covid-19 Era: A Study in Lima, Peru

Abstract

Coastal cities attract a significant flow of travelers who are currently seeking for biosecurity in their visits. This research, carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, has the following objectives: (i) identify post-pandemic motivational dimensions of demand in a coastal city and (ii) determine post-pandemic motivational dimensions of demand that predict return, recommendation, and provide positive word-of-mouth about the coastal city as loyalty variables. The present study was conducted in Lima, an important tourist destination on the Peruvian Pacific coast. This quantitative study employed a sample of 354 valid questionnaires analyzed using a Factor Analysis and the Stepwise Multiple Regression method. The results show four post-pandemic motivational dimensions in coastal cities: “Novelty and social interaction,“ “Learning and culture,“ “Safety of the destination,“ and ”Safety of services.” Of these, the ”Safety of services” dimension is the most important and most influential predictor of tourist return, followed by the ”Learning and culture” dimension. The results will serve as management guidelines for DMOs and sources of information for companies involved in the marketing and development of post-pandemic tourist products. The study is also a contribution to the academic literature on coastal cities.