Relationship between self-congruity and destination loyalty: Differences between first-time and repeat visitors

This study examines the relationship between self-congruity and destination loyalty with satisfaction as the control variable. Visit experiences of first-time and repeat visitors were utilized as a moderator variable to explore differences in the main effect. The study collected 326 usable responses by sampling visitors to the Yilan Shangrila Recreation Farm, Taiwan. Empirical results reveal that when controlling for the positive effect of satisfaction on destination loyalty, self-congruity was positively related to destination loyalty. First-time visitors were found to depend more on self-congruity than repeat visitors in forming destination loyalty. Some aspects of destination loyalty were found to be significantly stronger for repeat visitors than first-time visitors. The implications of these findings and suggested future research directions are discussed.

► The effect of self-congruity on destination loyalty with satisfaction as the control variable was analyzed.
► An on-site panel survey was conducted with visitors of a recreation farm.
► Differences in the causal relationships exist according to visit experiences.