Effect of Tourists' Perceptions on Destination Loyalty, an Indicator of Destination Competitiveness in the Lake Victoria Region Tourism Circuit, Kenya

To enhance competitiveness, destination managers need to understand the link between tourists’ perceptions and destination loyalty. This study sought to evaluate the effect of tourists’ perceptions on destination loyalty, an indicator of destination competitiveness. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design using a self-administered questionnaire to collect quantitative data from 299 tourists in 26 classified hotels. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 3.2.7 was used in data analysis and hypotheses testing. The majority of the hypotheses tested are accepted at P < .001, with exogenous variables adequately predicting their corresponding endogenous variables. Destination awareness [DA] (β = .49), destination image [DI] (β = .32), and destination perceived value [DPV] (β = .19), significantly predict Destination loyalty in Lake Victoria region tourism circuit [DCL] (R2 = .76) while destination perceived quality [DPQ] (β = .10, P=.0.08) does not. The findings of this study provide insights for destination managers in the Lake Victoria region tourism circuit, Kenya, on monitoring and enhancing the destination’s competitiveness.