Effects of Event Quality, Destination Image, Perceived Value, Attendees’ Satisfaction and Destination Loyalty on the Tawau International Cultural Festival

Abstract

This study examined the interplay between event quality and destination loyalty and investigated the mediating influence of participant satisfaction, perceived value and destination image in the context of special events. Confirmatory factor analysis, factor loadings, average variance extracted, construct validity and correlation analysis were used to validate the measurement scale, and the reliability of the scale was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modelling with maximum likelihood estimation was used to examine the structural relationships between the variables in the proposed model, based on onsite questionnaire responses from 215 participants. The results indicate that attendee satisfaction, perceived value, event quality and destination image significantly influence loyalty to the destination. In addition, the study found that destination image and perceived value mediated the relationship between event quality and attendees’ satisfaction with destination loyalty, emphasising the importance of event planners prioritising attendee satisfaction in their marketing strategies to improve quality and loyalty. The outcomes of this study imply that future researchers should apply this model in various event settings.