THE EFFECTS OF PRIOR AND RECENT EXPERIENCE ON CONTINUING INTEREST IN TOURIST SETTINGS

This study concentrates attention on tourists’ prior and recent experience of tourist settings and explores the effects of this experience on continuing visitor interest levels in these types of settings. This indirect and non-localised continuing interest was identified as transferred loyalty. The sample consisted of South Korean visitors who were completing their visit to Australia. Consumer involvement theory and aspects of loyalty analysis constituted the conceptual framework for the study. The analysis identified considerable levels of transferred loyalty and for all settings studied there were trends in the hypothesised directions. The value of consumer involvement theory as a way of explaining increasing interest in tourist setting participation was consistently supported.