Customer destination-based experience and loyalty: exploring the role of tourists’ emotions

Purpose Following an experiential marketing approach, this study addresses whether customer destination-based experiences (CDBE) affect tourists’ loyalty and emotions and if positive and negative emotions mediate this relationship. Hence, this study aims to verify the role positive and negative emotions play in the link between CDBE and tourists’ loyalty in a safe and joyful tourism destination in Europe. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was tested using data collected from tourists visiting the Algarve region, a mature seaside tourism destination in southern Portugal. The relationships implicit in the model were tested through the partial least squares structural equation modelling method. Findings The findings highlight that positive and negative tourist’s emotional responses mediate the relationship between CDBE and loyalty. Moreover, tourists’ experience and loyalty are influenced by their positive and negative emotions. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed. Originality/value Leveraged on extant research gaps, this study contributes to deepening the existing tourism literature by discussing whether CDBE affect tourists’ loyalty and emotions and whether these positive and negative emotions mediate that relationship in the context of a highly appraised touristic destination in Europe.