THE INFLUENCE OF MEMORABLE TOURISM EXPERIENCES AND PLACE ATTACHMENT SERVES AS A SERISE MEDIATING EFFECT THAT TRANSMITS THE DESTINATION IMAGE TO REVISIT INTENTION IN THE CONTEXT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among destination image, memorable tourism experiences, place attachment, and revisit intention within the context of cultural heritage tourism. The specific objectives were: 1) To assess tourists' perceptions of destination image, memorable tourism experiences, place attachment, revisit intention; 2) To investigate the effects of destination image, memorable tourism experiences, and place attachment on revisit intention among tourists visiting cultural World Heritage Sites; and 3) To test the partial serial mediation of memorable tourism experiences and place attachment in the relationship between destination image and revisit intention. A quantitative design was employed. The sample of 550 Thai tourists who had previously visited cultural World Heritage Sites was selected through convenience sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire, demonstrating a reliability which demonstrated a reliability coefficient of 0.96. The statistical methods used in this study included descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that most respondents were female, aged between 31 and 40 years, with a bachelor's degree as their highest level of education, and a monthly income ranging from 20,001 to 30,000 baht. Historic City of Ayutthaya (Ayutthaya Old Town) was the most frequently visited cultural World Heritage site. Tourists reported a high level of perception regarding destination image, memorable tourism experiences, place attachment, and revisit intention. Furthermore, the findings indicated that destination image had the most substsntial total effect on revisit (0.656), followed by place attachment (0.335) and memorable tourism experiences (0.311), respectively. In addition, memorable tourism experiences and place attachment served as a partial mediation between destination image and revisit intention.