Influences of the underlying dimensions of destination image on destination loyalty in a cultural heritage destination

ABSTRACT The “cognitive-affective-conative” theory was used to explain the relationship between the destination image and loyalty to a cultural heritage site. After a systematic synthesis of 34 pertinent studies and in-depth interviews, the study applied structural equation modeling to a dataset of 424 respondents. This study identified three components of the destination image: cognitive, affective, and conative. The underlying components of the cognitive image were validated using a second-order measurement model, which discovered significant associations. The results revealed that the cognitive image influenced the affective image and destination loyalty. This study contributes to the theory of heritage destination image formation.