The Effects of Destination Competitiveness and Tourist Trust on Destination Advocacy: The Case of International tourists

The tourism industry is broadly considered as a key component of economic growth and development. While many studies have shown how tourists evaluate their attitudes toward trip experience, little is known about significant components of destination competitiveness in the international context. This study aims to demonstrate the causal effects of destination competitiveness and tourist trust on destination advocacy in the international tourist context, and to explore the mediating effects of tourist trust on the relationship between destination competitiveness and destination advocacy. The data was collected from 603 international tourists and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling analysis (SEM).The research findings indicate the following: (1) that destination competitiveness has a significant impact on tourists’ trust; (2) that destination competitiveness has a direct impact on destination advocacy; (3) that the impact of tourist trust on destination advocacy reveals the highest direct effect with a standardized coefficient of .83; (4) that tourist trust mediates the relationship between destination competitiveness and destination advocacy. The research findings can help all sizes of tourist business operator establish marketing programs to foster tourism business sustainability.