The influence of personality on tourist behaviors: the study of motivations, satisfaction, and loyalty

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the influence of tourist personality on key interrelated factors in the visitation process including tourist motivation, destination satisfaction, and destination loyalty, and to investigate the relationships among these factors. The sample population includes first-time American tourists who visited the three locations in Thailand. The study findings indicate that (1) Psychographic personality and Allocentric personality positively influence tourist motivation; (2) only the motivation of Psychographics and the motivation of Allocentrics influenced destination satisfaction; (3) only the destination satisfaction of Mid-Centrics and the destination satisfaction of Allocentrics influenced destination loyalty; and (4) Psychocentric personality negatively influenced and Allocentric personality positively influenced destination satisfaction. The results of this study help to bridge academic gaps in tourism as well as help to provide more insight for the DMOs that work to promote these three destinations to develop superior destination marketing plans.