Exploring the Influence of Touch Points on Tourist Experiences at Crisis Impacted Destinations

Nina Krey, M. Claudia tom Dieck, Shuang Wu, Paraskevi Fountoulaki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Customer journeys in tourism are becoming more complex, often including multiple touch points that can influence expectations, experiences, and travel behaviors. The management of these different interactions is further complicated if tourist destinations face natural or man-made crises (e.g., financial crises, COVID-19). The current research takes a comprehensive look at how negative word-of-mouth (WOM) shapes pre-consumption expectations that drive actual tourist experiences and subsequent satisfaction behaviors. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), findings from 188 tourists confirm the influence of uncontrollable, negative WOM on destination image. Yet an actual, positive experience negates these negative pre-trip influences. Tourism managers are rewarded with satisfied and loyal tourists in response to creating positive experiences even at crisis impacted destinations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)39-54
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Travel Research
Volume62
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Transportation
  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

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