Destination attractiveness and destination attachment: The mediating role of tourists' attitude

The present study investigates the influence of destination attractiveness on tourists' destination attachment by examining the mediating effect of tourists' cognitive evaluations (i.e., their attitude). Data were collected using on-site interviews with 1232 international tourists in six Alpine destinations. Study 1 addresses the impact of destination attractiveness factors (i.e., accessibility, amenities, scenery and local community) on tourists' attitude. Study 2 validates the model and links it with tourists' destination attachment. Results obtained from SEM highlight the importance of a more fine-grained conceptualization of the antecedents of destination attachment. Findings reveal indirect-only mediation for access and local community, complementary mediation for amenities, and mediation with suppression for scenery. Without tourists' attitude as a mediating construct, however, only amenities show a positive, significant effect on attachment formation. The empirical findings provide destination managers and policy makers with valuable information about how to use destination perception and cognitive reenactment to increase destination attachment.