The Effect of Recommendations on Wine Tourism Destination Loyalty

Abstract

Urban tourism destinations increasingly rely on specialized segments such as wine tourism. However, limited research examines how electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and personal recommendations jointly influence destination loyalty through experiential and relational pathways in urban settings. This study develops and tests an integrative model linking e-WOM to destination loyalty through experience, trust, and satisfaction as mediating mechanisms, grounded in social exchange theory and expectancy-disconfirmation theory. Data were collected from 326 tourists visiting Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) via intercept surveys at transportation terminals and analyzed using structural equation modelling with maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping. All nine hypothesized relationships were positive and significant, collectively accounting for 89.3% of the variance in destination loyalty. Satisfaction emerged as the strongest predictor of loyalty, far exceeding the direct effects of experience and trust, while e-WOM exerted the strongest influence on experience. Indirect effects confirmed that e-WOM influences loyalty through experience and trust pathways. This research provides the first model integrating pre-visit communication influences with experiential and relational constructs to explain destination loyalty in an urban context. Findings indicate that urban destinations should prioritize visitor satisfaction as the primary loyalty driver, while strategically managing digital reputation and ensuring alignment between online recommendations and actual destination experiences.

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