Impact of attendees’ motivation and past experience on their attitudes toward the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C

Motivation and past experience have been frequently examined in the literature. However, most studies have examined the two concepts separately in a destination loyalty model, and few have made analyses at three levels: univariate or multivariate analysis, structural equation model (SEM) analysis, and SEM multi-group analysis. This study examined the two concepts at the three levels in the context of a cherry blossom festival, based on data collected from 950 visitors. Results indicate that repeaters were more motivated by the blossoms and more positive in their cognitive, affective, and behavioural attitudes toward the festival than were first timers. However, first timers exhibited a stronger relationship between motivation and cognition and between cognition and loyalty than repeaters. It seemed that cognition played a central role in the loyalty model, thus, it is necessary to place priority on increasing the public's knowledge/awareness about the festival. Theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications are discussed.