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Publication
Can surf culture foster loyalty towards surf destinations?
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
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| 2.17 MB | Adobe PDF |
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Abstract(s)
The sport of surfing is gaining increasing importance in the context
of tourism. Surf tourism has emerged as one promising product of
certain regions worldwide. Surfing, as a sport and as a lifestyle, has
been grounded in surf culture, which is recognized as a potential
attraction factor for certain surf destinations. Although previous
research has been undertaken in the field of surf tourism, the
impact that the visitors’ perceptions of a destination’s surf culture
have on the overall destination image and on loyalty towards
that destination is not represented in the peer-reviewed
literature. Therefore, a research model is proposed and tested,
aiming to contribute to the advancement of knowledge
regarding the relevance and influence of surf culture. A survey
questionnaire was carried out among visitors to a surf destination
in Portugal – Peniche (N = 430). The model was tested using
partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Results reveal that the perceptions of surf culture contribute to a
better overall destination image and a higher loyalty towards the
destination, with the overall image also having a positive impact
on loyalty. However, different components of surf culture have
distinct impacts on overall image and loyalty. The study provides
important theoretical contributions in terms of surf culture and
the components of a surf destination image, as well as offers
useful insights for the development of effective management
strategies for surf tourism destinations.
Description
Keywords
Surf tourism surf culture surf destination image loyalty surf destination management