Tourist destination loyalty: a case study of Rome

Abstract

Destination loyalty is the intended behavior of the customer who can put into effect the pleasant sentiments they have for a destination that allows them to revisit, repurchase the services, and refer the destination favorably to their surroundings. This circumstance is fairly common in the management of many touristic destinations, and it has been developed into a topic that is available for many innovative analyses. This study investigates the factors that affect and shape the loyalty between foreign tourists and the city of Rome. In order to assess destination loyalty, a data collection was implemented. The main objective is to identify not only key factors increasing destination loyalty of foreign visitors, but also the main aspects demotivating repeated visitations, in connection with the socio-economic characteristics of tourists. The results of this study could represent important entry points for public decision makers and tourism operators to improve the attractiveness of the city of Rome, with the goal of increasing destination loyalty and tourist arrivals.