This study investigated the moderating role of tourist prior knowledge in the relationship between major destination experience components (i.e. attraction, infrastructure, restaurants and service performance) and tourist satisfaction. Data were collected from international tourists visiting Shiraz, Iran, via a questionnaire survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyse the data, and the multi-group comparison approach was adopted to test the moderating role of prior knowledge. Findings reveal that tourist prior knowledge moderated the effects of destination experience components on tourist satisfaction in a differentiated way. The effects of service performance and restaurants on tourist satisfaction were more significantly moderated by tourist prior knowledge than the effects of attraction and infrastructure on tourist satisfaction. This study suggests that destination experiences enabled by human performance are more important in contributing to tourist satisfaction for those tourists with little knowledge about the destination. Destination marketing implications are discussed.
AlegreJCladeraM (2009) Analysing the effect of satisfaction and previous visits on tourist intentions to return. European Journal of Marketing43(5): 670–685.
2.
AlegreJGarauJ (2011) The factor structure of tourism satisfaction at Sun and Sand Destinations. Journal of Travel Research50(1): 78–86.
3.
ArnouldEJPriceLL (1993) River magic: extraordinary experience and the extended service encounter. Journal of Consumer Research20(1): 24–45.
4.
AssakerGHuangSHallakR (2012) Applications of partial least squares structural equation modeling in tourism research: a methodological review. Tourism Analysis17(5): 679–686.
5.
AwaritefeOD (2004) Destination image differences between prospective and actual tourists in Nigeria. Journal of Vacation Marketing10(3): 264–281.
6.
BagozziRPYiY (1988) On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science16(1): 74–94.
7.
BalogluS (2001) Image variations of Turkey by familiarity index: informational and experiential dimensions. Tourism Management22(2): 127–133.
8.
BaronRMKennyDA (1986) The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology51(1): 1173–1182.
9.
BendapudiNLeoneRP (2003) Psychological implications of customer participation in co-production. Journal of Marketing67(1): 14–28.
10.
BerryLLCarboneLPHaeckelSH (2002) Managing the total customer experience. MIT Sloan Management Review43(3): 85–89.
11.
BosqueIRSan MartinH (2008) Tourist satisfaction: a cognitive-affective model. Annals of Tourism Research35(2): 551–573.
12.
BowenDClarkeJ (2002) Reflections on tourist satisfaction research: past, present and future. Journal of Vacation Marketing8(4): 297–308.
13.
Brunner-SperdinAPetersMStroblA (2012) It is all about the emotional state: managing tourists’ experience. International Journal of Hospitality Management31(1): 23–30.
14.
BuhalisD (2000) Marketing the competitive destination of the future. Tourism Management21(1): 97–116.
15.
ButlerRO’GormanKDPrenticeR (2012) Destination appraisal for European cultural tourism to Iran. International Journal of Tourism Research14(4): 323–338.
16.
ChenC-MChenSLeeH (2011) The destination competitiveness of Kinmen’s tourism industry: exploring the interrelationships between tourist perceptions, service performance, customer satisfaction and sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism19(2): 247–264.
17.
ChiCG-QQuH (2008) Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: an integrated approach. Tourism Management29(4): 624–636.
18.
ChinWW (2010) Bootstrap cross-validation indices for PLS path model assessment. In: Esposito VinziVChinWWHenselerJ. (eds) Handbook of Partial Least Squares: Concepts, Methods and Applications in Marketing and Related Fields. Berlin: Springer, pp. 83–97.
19.
ChinWWMarcolinBLNewstedPN (2003) A partial least squares latent variable modeling approach for measuring interaction effects: results from a Montecarlo simulation study and an electronic-mail emotion/adoption study. Information Systems Research14(2): 189–217.
20.
CohenJCohenPWestSG. (2003) Applied Multiple Regression/correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
21.
CompeauDRHigginsCAHuffS (1999) Social cognitive theory and individual reactions to computing technology: a longitudinal study. MIS Quarterly23(2): 145–158.
22.
CoghlanAPearceP (2010) Tracking affective components of satisfaction. Tourism and Hospitality Research10(1): 42–58.
23.
EllisHCAshbrookPW (1988) Resource allocation model of the effects of depressed mood states on memory. In: FiedlerKForgasJ (eds) Affect, Cognition and Social Behaviour. Toronto: Hogrefe, pp. 25–43.
24.
FakeyePCCromptonJL (1991) Image differences between prospective, first-time, and repeat visitors to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Journal of Travel Research30(2): 10–16.
25.
FornellCJohnsonMDAndersonEW. (1996) The American customer satisfaction index: nature, purpose, and findings. Journal of Marketing60(4): 7–18.
26.
FornellCLarckerDF (1981) Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research18(1): 39–50.
27.
GilmoreJHPineBJII (2002) Differentiating hospitality operations via experiences: why selling services is not enough?Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly43(3): 87–96.
28.
GuenziPGeorgesLPardoC (2009) The impact of strategic account managers’ behaviors on relational outcomes: an empirical study. Industrial Marketing Management38(3): 300–311.
29.
GursoyDGavcarE (2003) International leisure tourists’ involvement profile. Annals of Tourism Research30(4): 906–926.
30.
HenselerJFassottG (2010) Testing moderating effects in PLS path models: an illustration of available procedures. In: Esposito VinziVChinWWHenselerJWangH (eds) Handbook of Partial Least Squares: Concepts, Methods and Applications in Marketing and Related Fields. Berlin: Springer, pp. 713–735.
31.
HenselerJRingleCMSinkovicsRR (2009) The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. In: SinkovicsRRGhauriPN (eds) New Challenges to International Marketing. Advances in International Marketing, Vol. 20. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, pp.277–319.
32.
HsiehJJRaiAKeilM (2008) Understanding digital inequality: comparing continued use behavioral models of the socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged. MIS Quarterly32(1): 97–126.
33.
HomburgCGieringA (2001) Personal characteristics as moderators of the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty: an empirical analysis. Psychology and Marketing18(1): 43–66.
34.
HsuCHC (2003) Mature motorcoach travelers’ satisfaction: a preliminary step toward measurement development. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research27(3): 291–309.
35.
HsuCHCKillionLBrownG. (2008) Tourism marketing: An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia.
36.
HuangS (2010) Post-olympic tourist experience: an autoethnographic perspective. Journal of China Tourism Research6(2): 104–122.
37.
HuangSHsuCHC (2009a) Effects of travel motivation, past experience, perceived constraint, and attitude on revisit intention. Journal of Travel Research48(1): 29–44.
38.
HuangSHsuCHC (2009b) Structural Analysis of Tourist Behavior: A Study on Past Mainland Chinese Visitors to Hong Kong. Koln: Lambert Academic Publishing.
39.
HuangSHsuCHCChanA (2010) Tour guide performance and tourist satisfaction: a study of the package tours in Shanghai. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research34(1): 3–33.
40.
HullandJS (1999) Use of partial least squares (PLS) in strategic management research: a review of four recent studies. Strategic Management Journal20(2): 195–204.
41.
HuntHK (1977) Cs/d: overview and future directions. In: HuntH (ed.) Conceptualization and Measurement of Customer Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction. Cambridge: Marketing Science Institute, pp. 455–488.
KeilMRaiALiuS (2013) How user and requirement risks moderate the effects of formal and informal controls on it project performance. European Journal of Information Systems22(6): 650–672.
44.
KimJHRitchieJRBMcCormickB (2012) Development of a scale to measure memorable tourism experiences. Journal of Travel Research51(1): 12–25.
45.
KingJ (2002) Destination marketing organisations: connecting the experience rather than promoting the place. Journal of Vacation Marketing8(2): 105–108.
KozakMRimmingtonM (1998) Benchmarking: destination attractiveness and small hospitality business performance. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management10(5): 184–188.
48.
KozakMRimmingtonM (2000) Tourist satisfaction with Mallorca, Spain, as an off-season holiday destination. Journal of Travel Research38(3): 260–269.
49.
LarsenS (2007) Aspects of a psychology of the tourist experience. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism7(1): 7–18.
50.
LehtoXYO’LearyJTMorrisonAM (2004) The effect of prior experience on vacation behaviour. Annals of Tourism Research31(4): 801–818.
51.
LauALSMcKercherB (2004) Exploration versus acquisition: a comparison of first-time and repeat visitors. Journal of Travel Research42(3): 279–285.
52.
LewAMcKercherB (2006) Modeling tourist movements: a local destination analysis. Annals of Tourism Research33(2): 403–423.
53.
LiXChengC-KKimH. (2008) A systematic comparison of first-time and repeat visitors via a tow-phase online survey. Tourism Management29(2): 278–293.
54.
LiuSDengZ (2015) How environment risks moderate the effect of control on performance in information technology projects: perspectives of project managers and user liaisons. International Journal of Information Management35(1): 80–97.
55.
MaestroRMHGallegoPAMRequejoLS (2007) The moderating role of familiarity in rural tourism in Spain. Tourism Management28(4): 951–964.
56.
MartinD (2008) Grounded theory of international tourist behaviour: building systematic propositions form emic interpretations of Japanese travellers visiting the USA. In: WoodsideAMartinD (eds) Tourism Management: Analysis, Behaviour and Strategy. Oxfordshire: CABI, pp. 62–93.
57.
MattilaA (1998) An examination of consumers’ use of heuristic cues in making satisfaction judgements. Psychology and Marketing15(5): 477–501.
58.
MaunierCCamelisC (2013) Toward an identification of elements contributing to satisfaction with the tourism experience. Journal of Vacation Marketing19(1): 19–39.
59.
MazurskyD (1989) Past experience and future tourism decisions. Annals of Tourism Research16(3): 333–344.
60.
MeisSJoyalSTritesA (1995) The US repeat and VFR visitor to Canada. Journal of Tourism Studies6(1): 27–37.
61.
MossbergL (2007) A marketing approach to the tourist experience. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism7(1): 59–74.
62.
OliverRL (1980) A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research17(4): 460–469.
OliverRL (1981) Measurement and evaluation of satisfaction processes in retail settings. Journal of Retailing57(3): 25–48.
65.
OppermannM (1997) First-time and repeat visitors to New Zealand. Tourism Management18(3): 177–181.
66.
PineBJIIGilmoreJH (1998) Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review76(4): 97–105.
67.
PizamA (2010) Creating memorable experiences. International Journal of Hospitality Management29(3): 343.
68.
PizamANeumannYReichelA (1978) Dimensions of tourist satisfaction with a destination area. Annals of Tourism Research5(3): 315–322.
69.
PrenticeRCWittSFHamerC (1998) Tourism as experience: the case of heritage parks. Annals of Tourism Research25(1): 1–24.
70.
PyoSSongJChangH (1998) Implications of repeat visitor patterns: the Cheju Island Case. Tourism Analysis3(3/4): 181–187.
71.
RitchieJRBTungVWSRitchieRJB (2010) Tourism experience management research: emergence, evolution and future directions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management23(4): 419–438.
72.
RigdonEESchumackerREWothkeW (1998) A comparative review of interaction and nonlinear modeling. In: SchumackerREMarcoulidesGA (eds) Interaction and Nonlinear Effects in Structural Equation Modeling. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum, pp. 1–16.
73.
RingleCMWendeSWillA (2005) SmartPLS 2.0 M3. Available at: www.smartpls.de (accessed 5 July 2013).
74.
RoyallRM (1984) The effect of sample size on the meaning of significance tests. American Statistician40(4): 313–315.
75.
RyanC (2000) Tourist experiences, phenomenographic analysis, post-positivism and neural network software. International Journal of Tourism Research2(2): 119–132.
76.
RyanC (ed.) (2002) The Tourist Experience: A New Introduction. London: Continuum.
77.
SongHvan der VeenRLiG. (2012) The Hong Kong tourism satisfaction index. Annals of Tourism Research39(1): 459–479.
78.
SzymanskiDMHenardDH (2001) Customer satisfaction: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences29(1): 16–35.
79.
TenenhausMVinziVEChatelinY. (2005) PLS path modeling. Computational Statistics and Data Analysis48(1): 159–205.
80.
TsaurS-HYenC-HChenC-L (2010) Independent tourist knowledge and skills. Annals of Tourism Research37(4): 1035–1054.
81.
TungVWSRitchieJRB (2011) Exploring the essence of memorable tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research38(4): 1367–1386.
82.
UrielyN (2005) The tourist experience: conceptual developments. Annals of Tourism Research32(1): 199–216.
83.
WangN (1999) Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research26(2): 349–370.
84.
WangSQuH (2006) The study of tourists’ satisfaction determinants in the context of the Pearl River Delta sub-regional destination, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management14(3): 49–63.
85.
WetzelsMOdekerken-SchroderGvan OppenC (2009) Using PLS path modeling for assessing hierarchical construct models: guidelines and empirical illustration. MIS Quarterly33(1): 177–195.
86.
YuanYHWuCK (2008) Relationships among experiential marketing, experiential value, and customer satisfaction. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research32(3): 387–410.
87.
YukselAYukselFBilimY (2009) Destination attachment: effects on customer satisfaction and cognitive, affective and conative loyalty. Tourism Management31(2): 274–284.
