First-Time versus Repeat Tourism Customer Engagement, Experience, and Value Cocreation: An Empirical Investigation

Though customer engagement (CE) and customer experience (CX) are recognized as key research priorities, empirically derived insight into their association with tourism customers' ensuing value cocreation and destination revisit intent remains tenuous, in particular for first-time versus repeat customers. In response to this gap, we develop an S-D logic-informed model that tests the effects of tourism-based CE on CX, cocreation, and revisit intent. Our findings suggest that CE's dimensions differentially affect CX and cocreation, which subsequently affects revisit intent. Second, we identify CE's indirect effect on revisit intent, as mediated via CX and cocreation. Thus, the effect of CE on revisit intent is most pronounced under elevated CX and cocreation. Third, involvement is found to moderate the association between CX, cocreation, and revisit intent. Moreover, we identify significant CE, CX, cocreation, and revisit intent-based differences for first-time versus repeat customers. We conclude with important implications arising from our analyses and further research avenues.

Automated summary

This study reveals that customer engagement in tourism has an impact on customer experience and value cocreation, subsequently influencing revisit intent. Moreover, involvement moderates the relationship between customer experience, cocreation, and revisit intent. Significant differences were identified between first-time and repeat customers in terms of customer engagement, customer experience, cocreation, and revisit intent.