The influence of destination image and

tourist satisfaction on tourist loyalty:

a case study of Chinese tourists in Korea
Weisheng Chiu, Shiheng Zeng and Philip Shao-Tung Cheng

Weisheng Chiu is based Abstract

at the Department of Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore both the cognitive and affective images and examine
Sport and Leisure the effects of destination image through both aspects on satisfaction levels and tourist loyalty.
Studies, The University of Design/methodology/approach – Data collection was conducted using the convenience sampling
Suwon, Hwaseong City, method. The on-site survey was carried out with Chinese tourists at the popular tourist sites in Seoul City.
Korea. Shiheng Zeng is Findings – The results showed that the cognitive image had a direct influence on the affective image
based at the Department and confirmed the formation process of the destination image. Both cognitive and affective images had
positive influences on satisfaction, and in turn, satisfaction predicted tourist loyalty. Moreover, the
of Sport and Leisure
relationship between destination image and loyalty revealed that the affective image had a direct
Studies, Yonsei
influence on tourist loyalty. Although the cognitive image showed no direct linkage to tourist loyalty, the
University, Seoul, The authors found that it had an indirect influence on tourist loyalty through affective image and satisfaction.
Republic of Korea. Originality/value – The findings of this study provide a better understanding of the process that
Philip Shao-Tung Cheng determines Chinese tourists’ destination choices and loyalty. Moreover, it provides insightful
is Professor at the implications for the Korean Government, the Korea Tourism Organization and tourism operators.
Department of Physical Keywords Destination image, Satisfaction, Chinese tourist, Tourist loyalty
Education, National Paper type Research paper
Taiwan Normal University,
Taipei, Taiwan.

Introduction
The increasing growth of China’s outbound tourism has drawn the attention of researchers
and practitioners worldwide (Cai et al., 2008). Due to the steadily developing economy and
a growing demand for tourism in China, the consumption pattern of the Chinese is
undergoing a transition with an increase in income and leisure time, and these have
become the forces shaping China’s outbound tourism (Tse and Hobson, 2008). Given this
phenomenon, it can be easily observed that there is a steadily expanding trend for Chinese
tourists visiting around the world. According to a Chinese official report in 2013, the number
of Chinese outbound tourists has increased significantly in recent years. The figure
increases from 57.4 to 98.2 million between 2010 and 2013. Moreover, these Chinese
outbound tourists visit over 120 overseas destinations around the world and spent an
estimated amount of US$128.7bn in 2013 (China National Tourism Administration, 2014).
The Republic of Korea (hereafter referred to as Korea), a neighbor country of China,
benefits substantially from the phenomenon of growing Chinese outbound tourism. China
has been the largest market for Korean tourism since 2013. According to the report of the
Korea Tourism Organization in 2014, over 6 million Chinese tourists visited Korea,
representing 43.1 per cent of the total foreign tourists, and the percentage of Chinese
tourists among total inbound tourists to Korea has drastically increased by 32.7 per cent
from 2010 to 2014 (Korea Tourism Organization, 2014). On the other hand, the number of
Received 29 July 2015 Chinese entrants merely equals less than 5 per cent of the total tourists from China,
Revised 13 November 2015
28 December 2015
implying the unlimited potential of the Chinese market for Korean tourism. Also, “Hallyu”
Accepted 5 January 2016 (aka Korean Wave, in cultural items such as pop songs, movies and television dramas) has

DOI 10.1108/IJCTHR-07-2015-0080 VOL. 10 NO. 2 2016, pp. 223-234, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1750-6182 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY RESEARCH PAGE 223
 played a significant role in attracting Chinese tourists (Kim et al., 2009; Zeng et al., 2015).
Korean TV dramas and movies have been popular in China, and as such, it enhanced the
Chinese residents’ understanding of the Korean culture (Kim et al., 2008; Su et al., 2011).
Because of the proximate locations of China and Korea, and the substantial impact of the
Korean Wave, Korea has become one of the major destination choice for Chinese tourists
(Kim et al., 2009).
Despite the unique attractions in Korea and the phenomenon of the increasing tourist flow
from China to Korea, relatively little research has explored the perception of Chinese
tourists toward Korea as a destination. For instance, Yu and Ko (2012) investigated Chinese
tourists’ perceptions of medical tourism. Kim et al. (2015) compared differences in attitude
and behavior between Chinese and Taiwanese tourists. Furthermore, Lee et al. (2011)
attempted to determine the influence of tour quality and tourist satisfaction on tourist loyalty.
However, the role of destination image and the relationships of destination image with other
outcome variables such as tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty among the Chinese
tourists in Korea remain unclear. More importantly, the tourist’s perception of a destination
is not only a positive predictor of tourism decisions but also a critical determinant factor of
tourist loyalty (Tasci and Gartner, 2007; Woodside and Lysonski, 1989). Korean destination
marketers may, therefore, have a great interest in how destination image affects Chinese
tourists’ perception and behavior in their journey to Korea.
Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to devise a framework to explore the relationship
between destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty. More specifically, this
study delved into the two aspects of destination image (i.e. cognitive and affective images)
and investigated the influence of destination image on tourist satisfaction and loyalty
through both levels. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for destination
marketers to establish positioning plans for the Korean tourism industry.

Literature review and hypotheses development

Destination image
Destination image is one of the most important antecedents of tourists’ pre-, in situ and
post-purchase decisions and travel behaviors (Baloglu and McCleary, 1999; Beerli and
Martín, 2004; Tasci and Gartner, 2007). The definitions of destination image focus on an
individual’s overall perception of a place (Baloglu and McCleary, 1999). More recently,
destination image is defined as “a compilation of beliefs and impressions based on
information processing from various sources over time that result in a mental representation
of the attributes, benefits, and distinct influence sought of a destination” (Zhang et al., 2014,
p. 215). It recognizes not only the multiplicity of components (i.e. cognitive and affective)
but also the formation process of a destination image by the interaction between these
components.
Traditionally, only the cognitive component of a destination image is considered. Recent
studies jointly have captured both cognitive and affective dimensions to assess destination
image and argued that the coexistence of both components may more accurately explain
destination image (Kim and Yoon, 2003; San Martín and del Bosque, 2008; Zeng et al.,
2015). The cognitive component refers to an individual’s beliefs or knowledge about the
characteristics or attributes of a tourist destination (Baloglu, 2000; Pike and Ryan, 2004).
On the other hand, the affective dimension denotes the individual’s feelings toward the
tourist destination (Baloglu and Brinberg, 1997; Kim and Yoon, 2003).
It must be noted that there is a significant influence of cognitive image on affective image.
There has been a consensus among researchers that the cognitive component is an
antecedent of an affective evaluation (Baloglu, 2000; Baloglu and McCleary, 1999; Gartner,
1994). More recently, researchers have testified to the relationship between cognitive and
affective images with qualitative and quantitative approaches (Li et al., 2010; Lin et al.,
2007; Ryan and Cave, 2005; San Martín and del Bosque, 2008; Vogt and Andereck, 2003).

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This would justify the cognitive–affective sequential formation process of the destination
image. Thus, the first hypothesis was established:
H1. Cognitive image will significantly influence affective image.

Tourist satisfaction
Satisfaction may be one of the most thoroughly researched variables in the tourism
literature. Satisfaction can be regarded as a tourist’s post-purchase evaluation of the
destination (Ryan, 1995). In tourism research, Hunt (1983) argued that satisfaction is not
only about the pleasure of the travel experience but also the evaluation rendered that the
experience was at least as good as it was supposed to be. That is, satisfaction is evoked
when consumers compare their initial expectations with their perceptions. Once perceived
experience is greater than expectations, the consumer is satisfied (Yüksel and Yüksel,
2001).
Previous studies have shown that the image of a destination plays an essential role in
determining tourists’ satisfaction (Chi and Qu, 2008; Prayag, 2009; Tasci and Gartner,
2007). In general, past findings have suggested that destination image is a direct
antecedent of satisfaction and achieved a consensus that a more favorable destination
image is likely to lead to a higher level of tourist satisfaction (Chen and Phou, 2013; Chi and
Qu, 2008; Prayag, 2009; Prayag and Ryan, 2012; Tasci and Gartner, 2007). However, most
of the existing research has mainly paid attention to the influence of cognitive image on
satisfaction, but overlooked a more comprehensive effect of destination image, including
both cognitive and affective images, on tourist satisfaction. To investigate the distinct
influences of cognitive and affective images on tourist satisfaction, the current study,
therefore, proposed the second and third hypotheses as follows:
H2. Cognitive image will significantly influence tourist satisfaction.
H3. Affective image will significantly influence tourist satisfaction.

Tourist loyalty
According to the definition of Oliver (1999, p. 34), tourist loyalty is “a deeply held
commitment to rebuy or re-patronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future,
thereby causing repetitive same brand or same brand set purchasing, despite situational
influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior”. Tourist
loyalty is one of the most critical aspects for destination marketers because it is more
desirable, and less costly, to retain existing tourists than to attract new ones (Loureiro and
González, 2008). Travelers with a high level of loyalty represent an important market
segment for many tourism destinations, as they are more likely to stay longer at a
destination than the first-time visitors, tend to spread positive information through word of
mouth (WOM) and participate in consumptive activities more intensively (Li et al., 2010;
Zhang et al., 2014). Moreover, these repeating visitors can reduce marketing costs as
compared with attracting first-time visitors (Shoemaker and Lewis, 1999).
The antecedents of tourist loyalty have also been explored by several studies. Destination
image, as aforementioned, is a significant predictor of many tourist behavioral outcomes
(Tasci and Gartner, 2007). Researchers have suggested that the tourists’ behaviors related
to loyalty (i.e. intention to revisit and willingness to recommend) can be influenced by the
image they perceive of the destination (Bigné et al., 2001; Cai et al., 2003; Chen and Tsai,
2007; Li et al., 2010; Tasci and Gartner, 2007). Moreover, the result of a meta-analysis
showed a positive relationship between destination image and tourist loyalty (Zhang et al.,
2014). However, as we discussed before, most studies have accounted for the influence of
merely one dimension of the destination image (i.e. cognitive or affective image) without
using an integrative perspective of the destination image. Thus, the authors attempted to
explore the multi-level influences of destination image on tourist loyalty and proposed the
fourth and fifth hypotheses:

VOL. 10 NO. 2 2016 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY RESEARCH PAGE 225
 H4. Cognitive image will significantly influence tourist loyalty.
H5. Affective image will significantly influence tourist loyalty.
Moreover, it is generally believed that satisfaction results in repeat purchase and positive
WOM recommendations, which are critical indicators of loyalty. Oliver (1999) argued that
the satisfaction felt toward a destination is a necessary step in the formation of tourist
loyalty. Furthermore, some studies have suggested a significant positive relationship
between tourist satisfaction and loyalty (Chen and Tsai, 2007; Chi and Qu, 2008; Lee et al.,
2011; Prayag, 2009; Prayag and Ryan, 2012). Thus, the current study established the sixth
hypothesis:
H6. Tourist satisfaction will significantly influence tourist loyalty.

Method
Data collection and procedure
Data collection was conducted using the convenience sampling method. The on-site
survey was carried out with Chinese tourists at the popular tourist sites in Seoul City, such
as Myeongdong, Seoul Tower, Gyeongbokgung and Dongdaemun. The fundamental
principle of the survey was to conduct face-to-face interviews with individual tourists.
Moreover, data were collected over seven months from June 1 to August 1, 2014, October
1 to November 1, 2014 and December 1, 2014 to February 1, 2015 to minimize the
influence of seasonality. For this study, 150 copies of the questionnaire were distributed
each time, and a total of 350 copies were collected. After eliminating invalid surveys, a total
of 311 completed questionnaires were ultimately collected for further analysis.
The respondent profile is summarized in Table I. Of the total number of respondents, most
of them were female (n ⫽ 200, 64.3 per cent) and aged between 26-35 years. Also, the
majority of the participants (n ⫽ 193, 62.1 per cent) were traveling for the first time to Korea.
Finally, most of the participants stayed in Korea for four to six days (n ⫽ 223, 71.7 per cent).

Measures
The survey instruments were extracted from the literature review. The destination image
scale consists of two dimensions: seven items for cognitive image (Prayag and Ryan, 2012)

Table I Sample demographic characteristics

Characteristics Frequency (%)

Gender
Male 111 35.7
Female 200 64.3
Age (years)
16-25 67 21.5
26-35 156 50.1
35-45 57 18.3
⬎45 31 10.1
Income (RMB)
⬍5,000 137 44.1
5,001-10,000 86 27.6
⬎10,000 88 28.3
Past experience
First-time visit 193 62.1
Repeated visit 118 37.9
Length of stay (days)
1-3 30 9.6
4-6 223 71.7
⬎6 58 18.7

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and four items for affective image (Pike and Ryan, 2004). Because the two dimensions of
destination image were separately examined in the previous studies (San Martín and del
Bosque, 2008), the scales of cognitive and affective images were adapted from different
studies. Moreover, these scales were used and examined by many studies which revealed
good reliability and validity. Thus, the use of these scales was considered appropriate in
this study. Tourist satisfaction (three items) and loyalty (three items) were taken from Lee
et al.’s (2011) study. All scale items were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale ranging
from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). These scales were selected because they
reported adequate reliability and validity in the previous studies. Moreover, some items of
the scale were slightly modified to make it suitable in the context of Chinese tourists visiting
Korea.
As a next step, the original English version of the questionnaire was translated into a
Chinese version based on Brislin’s (1970) guidelines. First, two experts individually
translated the original items to Chinese. After comparing and adjusting any discrepancy
between these two drafts, a final draft of the Chinese version was completed. Next, the
other two experts independently back-translated the Chinese version into two English
versions, and then, the researchers compared the two back-translated English versions
with the original English questionnaire to ensure that the meaning was conceptually
equivalent.
In addition, 20 Chinese travelers were invited to pilot test the Chinese version of the
questionnaire. They evaluated the clarity and appropriateness of all items to ensure the
content validity of the Chinese version questionnaire. Consequently, only minor changes
were made in the final questionnaire.

Data analysis
The current study used the SPSS 18.0 statistical package for a descriptive analysis of the
sample structure. AMOS 18.0 was used for structural equation modeling (SEM). Maximum
likelihood estimation was evaluated in the SEM analysis software. Data analysis proceeded
in a two-stage analysis based on Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988) study. First, we measured
the reliability and validity of the observed and latent variables to estimate the obvious levels
of these variables using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Second, SEM analysis was
used to test the hypotheses in the proposed conceptual model. With the structural model
analysis, this study uses the standard factor loading and t-value of the path coefficient to
determine the path strengths and significance levels of the latent variables.

Results
Reliability and validity of measurement
The CFA results revealed that the measurement model fulfilled the criteria suggested by Hu
and Bentler (1999) and yielded an acceptable level of model fit, ␹2 (113) ⫽ 293.659,
confirmatory fit index (CFI) ⫽ 0.951, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) ⫽ 0.941 and root mean
square error of approximation (RMSEA) ⫽ 0.072.
Next, the reliability and validity of the scales were evaluated. First, the reliability of the
measures was investigated using Cronbach’s ␣ and composite reliability (CR) analysis. As
shown in Table II, all the values of Cronbach’s ␣ exceeded 0.80, which exceeded the
recommended level (0.70) proposed by Nunnally (1978). The CR values ranged from 0.876
to 0.912, exceeding the criterion (0.70) suggested by Fornell and Larcker (1981). Second,
the validity of measures was examined using convergent validity and discriminant validity.
Convergent validity was investigated by the values of factor loading and the average
variance extracted (AVE). All the factor loadings of the construct indicators were higher
than 0.50, and all the AVE values were greater than the suggested value (0.50) (Hair et al.,
2010). Discriminant validity was also evaluated, and the results revealed that the values of
AVE exceed both maximum shared squared variance and average share squared

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Table II Standardized loadings, Cronbach’s ␣, CR and AVE for the constructs
Construct/items Standardized loadings CR AVE MSV ASV

Cognitive image (␣ ⫽ 0.872) 0.876 0.504 0.450 0.324

Cultural and historical attractions 0.727
Cultural diversity 0.683
Variety and quality of accommodation 0.645
General level of service 0.777
Accessibility of the destination 0.710
Reputation of the place 0.769
Exoticness of the place 0.644
Affective image (␣ ⫽ 0.903) 0.908 0.714 0.211 0.197
Sleepy ⫺ arousing 0.731
Unpleasant ⫺ pleasant 0.776
Gloomy ⫺ exciting 0.937
Distressing ⫺ relaxing 0.917
Satisfaction (␣ ⫽ 0.901) 0.903 0.757 0.573 0.401
I am satisfied with the tour 0.851
I have enjoyed myself in the tour 0.853
I am positive in participating in the tour in the future 0.905
Tourist loyalty (␣ ⫽ 0.898) 0.912 0.777 0.576 0.364
I will tell good experiences from the tour to other people 0.949
I will recommend the tour to other people 0.932
I will revisit Korea and participate in the tour in the future 0.750

variance, and the squared AVEs were greater than the correlation estimates in the model
(Tables II and III).

Hypothesis testing
According to the SEM results, the conceptual model revealed an adequate level of fit, ␹2
(113) ⫽ 293.659, CFI ⫽ 0.951, TLI ⫽ 0.941 and RMSEA ⫽ 0.072 (Hu and Bentler, 1999).
As illustrated in Figure 1, the path from cognitive image to affective image was significant
(␤ ⫽ 0.43, t ⫽ 6.81); therefore, H1 was supported. The path from cognitive image to
satisfaction was significant (␤ ⫽ 0.59, t ⫽ 8.72), supporting H2. The path from affective
image to satisfaction was significant (␤ ⫽ 0.20, t ⫽ 3.59), and thus, H3 was supported. The
path from cognitive image to tourist loyalty was not significant (␤ ⫽ 0.09, t ⫽ 1.55), while the
path from affective image to tourist loyalty was significant (␤ ⫽ 0.14, t ⫽ 2.87); therefore, H4
was rejected, and H5 was supported. Finally, the path from satisfaction to tourist loyalty was
significant (␤ ⫽ 0.63, t ⫽ 2.86), supporting H6.

Exploration of mediating effect

Furthermore, the exploration of mediating effects was examined based on the paths in the
conceptual model. Although a typical three-step procedure suggested by Baron and
Kenny (1986) provides useful insights for examining a mediating effect, the recent research
on mediation reported that three steps are not necessary and provided a more practical

Table III Results of AVE and squared correlations of each construct

CI AI SAT TL

Cognitive image (CI) 0.710

Affective image (AI) 0.426 0.845
Satisfaction (SAT) 0.671 0.447 0.870
Tourist loyalty (TL) 0.583 0.459 0.757 0.882
Notes: Italic diagonal elements are the square root of AVE; values below the diagonal are squared
correlations

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 Figure 1 Conceptual model with path coefficients

approach for establishing mediation (Iacobucci et al., 2007; Rucker et al., 2011; Zhao et al.,
2010). According to the guideline of Zhao et al. (2010), researchers should emphasize the
role of an indirect effect. If an indirect effect is significant, researchers can conclude that
there is a significant mediation effect (Ro, 2012; Rucker et al., 2011; Zhao et al., 2010).
First, the mediating effects of affective image on the relationship between cognitive image
and satisfaction are shown in Figure 1 and Table IV. Cognitive image influenced
satisfaction at both direct and indirect levels. The indirect path from cognitive image
through affective image to satisfaction was significant (standardized estimate ⫽ 0.09, p ⬍
0.001). The direct path from cognitive image to satisfaction was also significant
(standardized estimate ⫽ 0.59, p ⬍ 0.001). It indicates the partially mediating effect (i.e.
complementary mediation) of the affective image on the relationship between the cognitive
image and satisfaction (Zhao et al., 2010).
Second, satisfaction revealed a mediating effect on the relationship between affective
image and tourist loyalty. As reported in Table IV, the results demonstrated a significant
indirect path from affective image through satisfaction to tourist loyalty (standardized
estimate ⫽ 0.12, p ⬍ 0.001). The direct path from affective image to tourist loyalty was also
significant (standardized estimate ⫽ 0.13, p ⫽ ⬍ 0.001). It indicates the partial mediating
effect (i.e. complementary mediation) of satisfaction on the relationship between affective
image and tourist loyalty (Zhao et al., 2010).
Third, the mediating effects of the affective image and satisfaction on the relationship
between cognitive image and tourist loyalty are shown in Figure 1 and Table IV. The results
reported that there was a significant indirect influence of cognitive image through affective
image and satisfaction on tourist loyalty (standardized estimate ⫽ 0.50, p ⬍ 0.001).
However, the direct path from cognitive image to tourist loyalty was insignificant
(standardized estimate ⫽ 0.10, p ⫽ 0.12). This finding also indicates the fully mediating

Table IV Direct and indirect effect analysis

Independent Dependent Indirect Direct Overall
variables variables effect effect effect

CI AI – 0.43** 0.43
CI SAT 0.08** 0.59** 0.67
CI TL 0.50** 0.10 0.60
AI SAT – 0.20** 0.20
AI TL 0.12** 0.13** 0.25
SAT TL – 0.63** 0.63
Notes: CI ⫽ cognitive image; AI ⫽ affective image; SAT ⫽ satisfaction; TL ⫽ tourist loyalty; **p ⬍
0.001

VOL. 10 NO. 2 2016 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY RESEARCH PAGE 229
 effect (i.e. direct-only mediation) of affective image and satisfaction on the relationship
between cognitive image and tourist loyalty (Zhao et al., 2010).

Discussion
As Chinese tourists have dominated the Korean inbound market, it is urgently necessary for the
Korean tourism industry to look into the processes that determine Chinese tourists’ destination
choices and their perceptions during their trips in Korea. In this study, we investigated the
influence of destination image on Chinese tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty in Korea. Although
numerous studies have investigated the impact of the destination image on tourist behaviors,
this study incorporated the two dimensions of the destination image (i.e. cognitive and affective
images) to explore how they respectively influence Chinese tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty in
the context of Korea. We established a framework to explore the relationships between
cognitive image, affective image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty. According to the
findings of this research, the following remarks can be made.
First, our findings illustrated the sequential relationship whereby cognitive image led to
affective image, concurring with the results of previous qualitative and quantitative
research (Li et al., 2010; Lin et al., 2007; Ryan and Cave, 2005; San Martín and del
Bosque, 2008; Vogt and Andereck, 2003). The cognitive aspect of destination image is
the perception of tourist destination attributes, which can be functional/tangible (e.g.
accommodation and cultural attractions) and psychological/abstract (e.g. friendly
atmosphere). On the other hand, the affective aspect denotes the emotion evoked by
a tourist destination (e.g. pleasure and excitement). The finding suggests that a
destination image is established by a process including the two distinct components of
the image. The formation process indicates that an individual’s beliefs about a
destination (i.e. cognitive image) induce his/her feeling of a destination (i.e. affective
image). Although the formation of a destination image has been identified in this study,
it should be noted that the relationship of cognitive–affective image is regarded as
casual rather than temporal.
Second, our findings revealed that both cognitive and affective images were significant
antecedents of tourist satisfaction. It is not surprising that the findings are consistent
with the results of many previous studies (Chi and Qu, 2008; Prayag, 2009; Prayag and
Ryan, 2012; Tasci and Gartner, 2007), thereby suggesting that as visitors’ perceptions
of place improved, so did their satisfaction levels. In addition, our findings indicate the
multi-level influences of destination image (i.e. cognitive and affective images). Similar
to cognitive image, affective image is also critical for establishing tourist satisfaction.
Moreover, the result points to the partial influence of affective image on the relationship
between cognitive image and tourist satisfaction. This finding suggests the important
role of affective image on satisfaction. Although the components of cognitive image
including infrastructure, accessibility and service levels are important to satisfy tourists,
tourists’ emotions and feelings toward the destination cannot be ignored. As tourists
perceive positive experiences toward a destination, they are more likely to be satisfied.
Third, the cognitive and affective images, however, play different roles in tourist loyalty.
Although affective image has a positive influence on tourist loyalty, any relationship
between cognitive image and tourist loyalty was not found. Zhang et al.’s (2014) results
of a meta-analysis have reported that the composite cognitive–affective image has an
unstable impact on tourist loyalty. Moreover, most of the previous studies examined the
influence of only cognitive or affective image on tourist loyalty (Bigné et al., 2001; Cai
et al., 2003; Chen and Tsai, 2007). This study incorporates both cognitive and affective
images to contribute to a better understanding of the distinct roles of cognitive and
affective images in tourist loyalty. Also, our findings revealed that the relationship
between cognitive image and tourist loyalty is fully mediated by affective image and
satisfaction. Findings of this study indicate the significance of Chinese visitors’
emotional perception and satisfaction levels toward Korea as a destination. That is,

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Chinese tourists’ cognitive image of infrastructure, accessibility and service levels can
evoke their affective perception and satisfaction toward Korea. In addition, the
emotional content of the experience and satisfaction with destination attributes have an
impact on tourist loyalty.
Finally, this study revealed that tourist satisfaction significantly leads to tourist loyalty. This
finding concurs with the previous literature (Chen and Tsai, 2007; Chi and Qu, 2008; Lee et al.,
2011; Prayag, 2009; Prayag and Ryan, 2012). It reveals the important role that satisfaction plays
in developing tourist’s behaviors related to loyalty, including revisiting a destination, as well as
spreading positive WOM. This study provided empirical evidence that satisfaction directly and
positively affects tourist loyalty. Therefore, as satisfaction levels increase, the propensity to
return and recommend increases, which are all critical for loyalty.

Implications
Due to the growing number of Chinese outbound tourists and lavish expenditure during
their trip, a better understanding of Chinese tourists’ destination choices and loyalty is
critical for the Korean Government, the Korea Tourism Organization and tourism operators.
The present study can contribute to the knowledge of Chinese tourists in Korea and provide
insightful implications for the Korean tourism industry. First, our findings suggest that
destination image is a multi-faceted concept with certain formation mechanisms. That is,
the distinct roles of cognitive and affective images should be considered in the formation
process of the destination image. Thus, Korean destination managers must improve the
cognitive aspect of image which can also enhance tourists’ affective image. For example,
the Korean tourism industry should establish a more friendly tourism environment for
Chinese tourists, including direction signs in Chinese and Chinese docents in historical
sites. In that way, Chinese tourists might feel more comfortable and pleasant during their
trip to Korea and indeed enhance their future travel behaviors, such as repeating visitor
WOM. Second, satisfaction also plays a critical role in building loyalty. Thus, the Korean
tourism industry must understand and satisfy the demands of Chinese tourists. For
example, establishing regular satisfaction surveys at the airport or popular tourist sites can
be conducted for Chinese tourists. Once they are satisfied, they are more likely to revisit or
advocate Korea as a tourist destination. Finally, tourism marketers should develop various
actions to promote the strengths of the tourist destination. Hence, communication through
mass media such as TV dramas or movies may be included in these actions. Filming TV
dramas or movies at popular tourist sites can be a natural way to promote the tourist
destination and build its favorable image.

Limitations and future research

Although the findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the antecedents of
Chinese tourists’ loyalty in Korea empirically, there are still some limitations in this study.
First, we conducted a convenience sampling method for only mainland Chinese tourists.
That is, the sample did not include the tourists from Taiwan, Hong Kong or other countries
such as Singapore and Malaysia. Therefore, the findings may not be generalized to all
Chinese tourists. Kim et al. (2015) also pointed out the differences between Chinese tourists
from different regions. Future research can collect information from samples representing
a more diverse profile of Chinese tourists to generalize the results of this study. Second, the
current study only focused on the relationships between destination image, satisfaction and
loyalty. For a more comprehensive view of tourist loyalty, variables such as place
attachment, perceived value or personal involvement should be considered in future
research. Third, the proposed model postulates sequence and directional influences
among variables. However, the cross-sectional design of this study made it unfeasible to
accurately examine the long-term loyalty of Chinese tourists. Finally, due to the popularity
of the Korean Wave, future research may investigate how Korean dramas and movies build
Korea’s image as a tourist destination.

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Corresponding author
Shiheng Zeng can be contacted at: zengshiheng@hotmail.com

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