The influence of leisure involvement and place attachment on destination loyalty: Evidence from recreationists walking their dogs in urban parks

This study examines a behavioral model using latent variables of leisure involvement, place attachment, and destination loyalty among recreationists walking their dog in urban parks. A total of 928 usable questionnaires were collected. The confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were analyzed using LISREL 8.70 for Windows. Empirical results indicate that leisure involvement (i.e., attraction and self expression) and place attachment (i.e., place identity and place dependence) accurately predict the destination loyalty of recreationists walking their dogs in urban parks. Findings of this study demonstrate that the proposed behavioral model is a highly effective means of examining the causal relationships among leisure involvement, place attachment, and destination loyalty. A series of managerial implications and recommendations for further studies are drawn.

► We develop a behavioral model for recreationists walking their dogs in urban parks.
► Leisure involvement and place attachment are precedents of destination loyalty.
► Place attachment as a mediator between leisure involvement and loyalty of recreationists.