Destination Experience and Tourists' Behavioural Intentions in Nigeria

The study investigated the direct  effect of destination experience on tourists’ behavioural intentions  in the tourism industry in  Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The descriptive research generated primary data from 150 domestic tourists who patronised Port Harcourt as a tourism destination. A well-structured questionnaire containing 12 items, with four demographic items was used for the primary data collection.   The result of the inferential statistical analysis with the help of SPSS showed that revisit intention and loyalty towards Port Harcourt as a destination is driven by destinations experience. The empirical study extends the understanding of the destination experience construct by studying its influence on tourists’ behavioural intentions in the context of a developing country Nigeria. Destination Management/Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and tourism service providers at destinations are expected to build capabilities in the area of experiential value conceptualisation and delivery based on the needs and expectations of their visitors/tourists. This is because the delivery of memorable touristic  experience will engender tourist satisfaction which is capable of promoting positive tourists’ behavioural outcomes such as revisit   intentions and destination loyalty. To achieve success in this regard,  managers of visitor attractions and other tourism service providers in destinations such as hotels, Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) are expected to develop capabilities in touristic experience management.