Tour Guide and Tourist Loyalty Toward Cultural Heritage Sites: A Signaling Theory Perspective

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Tourism Planning and Development

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Abstract

Built upon the signaling theory and the well-documented stimulus-organism-response framework, the purpose of this study is to examine how tour guides at Petra World Heritage Site act as a signal to influence tourists’ experience and satisfaction, which in turn influence tourists’ loyalty. Using the structural equation modeling technique, the study empirically tested a conceptual model with a convenience sample of tourists who visited Petra World Heritage Site in Jordan. Findings reveal that tour guides have significant direct and indirect effects on tourists’ loyalty. Moreover, the findings showed that tourists’ experience and satisfaction significantly mediate the relationship between tour guides and tourists’ loyalty. The present study’s unique contribution lies in its examination of the role of the tour guide in increasing tourists’ loyalty in the heritage tourism context. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed considering the empirical findings.

ISSN

2156-8316

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Disciplines

Tourism and Travel

Keywords

Jordan, Petra, signaling theory, stimulus-organism-response framework, Tour guide, tourist’s loyalty

Scopus ID

85133668316

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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