Characteristics of Tourist Destinations Impact Visitor Behavior
Kia Rokni |
A recent study led by a faculty member in the College of Business at Western Carolina University provides potential strategies for destination managers and policymakers to implement to help increase the economic impact resulting from the positive experiences of previous visitors.
In the study, Kia Rokni, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at WCU, and his co-authors found that certain characteristics of tourist destinations have a strong impact on visitor behavior, including the likelihood of repeat visits.
Tourism destinations attract visitors through a mix of attributes – accommodations, transportation, food and beverages, attractions and safety – that collectively influence travel experiences, Rokni said.
These attributes are not only functional, but they also are critical resources that can create emotional bonds with places, a phenomenon known as place attachment. Emotions are central to tourism, underscoring the need to examine factors shaping such bonds, he said.
“Not all destination attributes drive tourist behavior in the same way,” Rokni said. “Experiential attributes – particularly attractions, food and beverages, and accommodations – were the strongest drivers of both place attachment and behavioral intentions. In contrast, safety and transportation functioned more as baseline or ‘must-have’ conditions rather than factors that create emotional bonds or loyalty.”
For the study, Rokni and his colleagues – Nafas Emadlou and Jessica J. Yuan, both of Texas Tech University, and Asma Azad Akhi of Oklahoma Panhandle State University – investigated how destination characteristics influence tourists’ place attachment and affect their behavioral intentions.
The faculty members published their findings in an article titled “Examining the Effects of Destination Attributes on Place Attachment and Behavioral Intentions” in the March 2026 edition of the journal Tourism Review International.
The study was based on their examination of data from more than 400 previous visitors to the Italian city of Florence who participated in a survey about their perceptions of the destination.
The researchers considered Florence to be a textbook study subject because of its rich cultural heritage that attracts many tourists; diverse tourist profile; well-developed tourism infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and transportation systems; and existing research, making it a relevant site for investigating tourists’ place attachment.
They then selected a diverse sample of tourists who had previously visited Florence, and they administered a comprehensive survey designed to collect and evaluate visitors’ insights into the attributes of the city as a tourist destination.
Their study results indicated that accommodations, transportation, culinary offerings and attractions significantly influence both place attachment and behavioral intentions, while safety considerations affect recommendation but not intentions to revisit, Rokni said.
Understanding tourists’ emotional responses, particularly place attachment, is vital for destination competitiveness, the researchers said.
“Positive emotions increase the likelihood of return visits and recommendations,” Rokni said. “Place attachment is a strong predictor of behavioral intentions, which generate higher revenues, foster long-term relationships, reduce marketing costs and attract new visitors through word of mouth.”
In addition, place attachment can play an important role as a factor mediating between destination resources and behavioral outcomes, he said.
“The study shows that attributes influence revisit and recommendation intentions not only directly but also indirectly by fostering emotional connections,” Rokni said. “This highlights that loyalty is not just a function of service quality or infrastructure; it emerges when visitors develop a meaningful emotional bond with a place.”
Rokni and his colleagues also found that various attributes of a tourist destination can be looked at as strategic resources by tourism industry businesses and organizations.
“By integrating the resource-based view with place attachment theory, the project demonstrates that destinations build competitive advantage not only through physical infrastructure, but also through experiential and emotional value creation,” he said. “Managing these resources strategically can strengthen long-term engagement, repeat visitation and word-of-mouth recommendations.”
The researchers believe that their study adds to the academic literature by emphasizing the dual importance of destination attributes and place attachment in shaping behavioral intentions. It also offers a comprehensive framework combining the resource-based view with place attachment theory, the authors said.
In addition, they say their project has real-world implications in the tourism, travel and hospitality industry.
“The study offers practical insights for destination managers and policymakers on how to leverage destination attributes to foster stronger emotional connections and encourage sustainable visitation behaviors and adopt a holistic approach to destination planning and development,” Rokni said. “Regular monitoring of tourist feedback is recommended to enhance competitiveness.”