Mangrove Ecotourism in East Java, Indonesia: A Memorable Tourist Experience that Awakens Revisit Intention

Abstract

As outdoor tourism grows amidst competition in the tourism industry, ecotourism must offer tourists Memorable tourist experiences (MTEs). Memorable experiences shared on social media can be re-shared and have the potential to go viral. This study drew from previous empirical research and explored the mediating role of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and MTEs on revisit intention in mangrove ecotourism in East Java, Indonesia. Samples were selected using a probabilistic technique among mangrove ecotourism tourists in Trenggalek District and Surabaya City, East Java, Indonesia. 250 questionnaires were distributed to respondents, out of which 160 were returned and deemed complete. The structural equation model (SEM) tested the hypothesis with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. This research concludes that positive experiences left by tourists can directly influence revisit intention, but this influence is more significant if the experience is staged through eWOM. This research has implications for theory in understanding the role of MTEs and eWOM on revisit intention, while managerially it has implications for developing destination marketing strategies to create maximum MTEs and eWOM to generate revisit intention. Keywords: ecotourism, eWOM, memorable tourist experiences, revisit intention