Dr. Enrique Marinao-Artigas, Director of the Master’s in Marketing and a faculty member in the Department of Administration at the Faculty of Administration and Economics (FAE) at the University of Santiago, Chile (Usach), has achieved a significant milestone in academic publishing. He, along with Dr. Karla Barajas-Portas (Anahuac University, Mexico) and Dr. Leslier Valenzuela-Fernández (University of Chile), has published a compelling article in the prestigious Review of Managerial Science, a Q1 journal in the Management category of the SSCI index.
Their research, titled “Antecedents of business tourist loyalty: the moderating role of familiarity and emotional and cognitive experiences,” delves into the core factors driving loyalty among business travelers. The study meticulously analyzes how perceived quality, reputation, trust, and satisfaction intertwine to influence a business tourist’s inclination to return to and recommend a destination. Furthermore, it investigates the crucial moderating effects of prior familiarity with the location and the emotional and cognitive experiences encountered during their visit.
To rigorously examine these dynamics, the researchers employed a quantitative and experimental approach, utilizing a structural equation model. This analysis was based on extensive survey data collected from over 1,800 international business executives who had traveled to Mexico City and Santiago, Chile.
The study’s findings offer valuable insights for the business tourism sector. Notably, it confirms the direct and significant impact of a destination’s perceived quality and reputation on business tourist loyalty. Moreover, the research underscores that familiarity with the destination, coupled with positive emotional and cognitive experiences, amplifies these relationships. An intriguing finding highlights the synergistic effect between environmental factors and tourist behavior, which collectively strengthens the likelihood of return visits and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Dr. Marinao emphasized the practical implications of these results for destination management. “This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the critical elements that cultivate loyalty in business tourism,” he stated. “This knowledge is indispensable for cities aiming to establish themselves as attractive hubs for investors and executives. Our findings offer a robust framework for designing targeted marketing and management strategies that enhance the overall experience of business tourists and, in turn, bolster the competitive edge of these destinations.”
This publication in the Review of Managerial Science underscores FAE Usach’s ongoing commitment to producing impactful research and contributing significantly to the advancement of marketing and management within the dynamic field of business tourism.