International Journal of Entrepreneurship, Business and Creative Economy, Vol. 3 No. 2 (2023) https://doi.org/10.31098/ijebce.v3i2.

1272

Research Paper

Tourist Engagement and Destination Loyalty Among Local Visitors in the

Philippines

Eric Santos Parilla1*

1Northwestern University, Philippines
Received : January 6, 2023 Revised : March 20, 2023 Accepted : May 17, 2023 Online : July 31, 2023

Abstract
This research aims to establish the relationship between the five components of engagement and the destination
loyalty of 1,400 local visitors in the province of Ilocos Norte. Enthusiasm, attention, absorption, interaction, and
identification were the variables of this study. The study included structural equation modeling and a questionnaire
tailored to the pandemic-related alterations. The results of the inquiry demonstrated this zeal. Attention, interaction,
and identification were the factors that influenced destination loyalty. Interaction has the greatest impact on a
visitor's loyalty to a place; consequently, it is advised to improve this component. In addition, the report recommends
that the provincial government and local tourism officials do more research to identify potential discrepancies
between male and female visitor reactions.

Keywords Tourist Engagement, Destination Loyalty, Enthusiasm, Attention, Absorption, Interaction, Identification

INTRODUCTION

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry and the world's most active sector. It is critical in
establishing businesses, giving jobs and the principal source of revenue, and transporting people
from one location to another to visit and be mesmerized by a place's spectacular beauty.
Unsurprisingly, the tourism industry is booming, with people of all generations seeking new
adventures and learning about life through cultural and historical places. Indeed, tourism gives
individuals, communities, and economies several opportunities and advantages. Tourism activities
can provide employment, expand the community's and government's revenue streams, and
encourage the development of other businesses (Wang et al., 2017).
According to the Department of Tourism in their National Tourism Development Plan
2022-2028, the Philippines is strong in sun/beaches/islands, nature/natural parks/forests, and
diving/water sports. Additionally, tourism contributes to the country's economic output and
positively influences the surrounding community. The tourism industry's contribution to the
economy climbed to 12.7 percent of the Philippines' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018, up 0.5
percent from 2017, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) statistics released on June 6,
2019. The Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA), a measure of the tourism industry's value-
added, was PHP2.2 trillion in 2018, up 14.3 percent from PHP1.9 trillion in 2017.
For a tourism destination to be considered successful, it is crucial to offer tourist amenities
that effectively cater to the needs of visitors, guaranteeing their comfort and satisfaction
throughout their visit. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2008), amenities are items that service
providers purposefully give for customers to use and enjoy to maximize their pleasure. When
tourist facilities can deliver maximum pleasure to guests, it establishes a solid foundation for future
trips and their readiness to share pleasant experiences with others, fostering loyalty. Tourist loyalty
entails a strong dedication to procuring a particular product or service in the future, resulting in
repeated purchases of the same brand. Nevertheless, situational influences and marketing

Copyright Holder: This Article is Licensed Under:

© Eric Santos Parilla. (2023)
Corresponding author’s email: eric.parilla@nwu.edu.ph

Corresponding author’s email: xxx@xxx.com

 Int. J. Entrep. Bus. Creat. Econ.

campaigns have the potential to influence behavior (Setiawan, 2021).

Many individuals and organizations, such as service providers, popular sites, tourists,
travel companions, and locals, can start interactions in tourist destinations and attractions.
Additionally, visitors are now satisfied with being proactive and enthusiastic about engaging with
different products in a lively and dynamic online consumption setting. The subject of researching
tourist engagement at a destination has gained significant popularity in academic circles. Tourist
engagement is defined in this study as a psychological state that arises from interactive, co-creative
tourist experiences with a focal agent/object (people, attractions, activities, and encounters) in
focal travel experience interactions (Huang, 2017). The term "engagement" has gained popularity
in the previous decade and is often utilized by marketers to understand consumer experience
better. Customer experience and engagement are distinct concepts, as customer experience
encompasses all interactions a customer has with a company, as stated by Lemon and Verhoef
(2016). In contrast, the latter emphasizes the interactive, value-co-creative process between them
(Brodie et al., 2011). Customer engagement, first utilized by consulting firms to create an emotional
connection with customers, has sparked heated controversy among marketing researchers.
Ilocos Norte's tourism industry is thriving, owing to the province's abundance of natural
resources, breathtaking scenery at various tourist spots, and a tranquil atmosphere, all of which
serve as sufficient reasons for visitors to return despite the province's present circumstances. The
province's economy had a sharp decline in growth due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the
tourism industry recovered what has been lost by allowing local visitors to come and visit without
additional restrictions, provided they are properly vaccinated.
Ilocos Norte has developed sustainable tourism in each tourist destination to maintain and
conserve natural resources such as Pagudpod white beaches, Kapurpurawan in Burgos, Paoay
Chuch, and Laoag Sand Dunes, the top 5 tourist destinations, according to local tourism officer Mr.
Erwin Suguitan as of April 2022. Local sourcing, in which residents are encouraged to patronize
small enterprises that offer things made locally. Moreover, biodiversity ensures the security of
numerous species found in the ecosystem. One of their long-standing strategies for supporting
other sectors in dealing with unexpected losses is to boost local sourcing by creating new
possibilities. They have consistently supported local sourcing throughout the pandemic by
providing small companies with targeted and affordable rent to continue operating and selling their
locally created products and services regardless of the scenario. Local tourists consistently support
local products and services.
This research paper determined the relationship between tourist engagement and tourist
loyalty. A more rigorous scholarly investigation needs to be into the definition and scope of tourist
engagement and loyalty and how the two constructs significantly affect each other. Under tourist
engagement, the constructs to be investigated are enthusiasm, attention, absorption, interaction,
and identification. These constructs make up tourist engagement. Finally, this study attempted to
investigate which of the five components of tourist engagement significantly affects destination
loyalty.

Research Objectives
This research study was conceptualized to find the relationship between the components
of tourist engagement and destination loyalty. Specifically, it tried to find out the following:
1. What is the effect of enthusiasm on destination loyalty?
2. What is the effect of attention to destination loyalty?
3. What is the effect of absorption on destination loyalty?
4. What is the effect of interaction on destination loyalty?
5. What is the effect of identification on destination loyalty?

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6. Is there a significant difference in the responses of tourists based on their demographic

profiles?

Research Model

Enthusiasm

Attention
Tourist Destination Loyalty
Engagement
Absorption

Interaction

Identification

Figure 1. Research Model

LITERATURE REVIEW
Tourist Engagement
Customer engagement has been a subject of exploration across various domains, including
online media, service industries, and consumer brands. It has been examined from diverse
viewpoints, encompassing notions of connection, interaction, behavior, loyalty, experience,
commitment, and process, with three special characteristics in common. Customer engagement is
a non-transactional connection that varies from established relationships in a more limited sense
(e.g., participation, involvement). The second component of customer involvement is collaborative
value creation and engaging experiences. Finally, customer engagement results from consumers'
internal motivations, indicating that customers actively interact with focus objects (e.g., brands).
Consumer interaction is perceived as either a unified or complex entity. In recent decades,
significant endeavors have been dedicated to creating measurement scales for gauging
engagement, specifically within the travel and hospitality sector. For instance, King and Sparks
(2014) undertook the task of constructing and validating a customer engagement scale by drawing
inspiration from the dimensions of job engagement and consumer engagement. This scale
incorporated elements like passion, attention, absorption, interaction, and identification, focusing
on airline and hotel brands as reference points. Harrigan et al. (2017) modified the three-factor (i.e.,
identification, absorption, and interaction) 11-item consumer engagement measure developed by
So, King, and Sparks for use in a social media context. While these consumer engagement measures
are advantageous, they cannot be applied to the setting of a destination since they need to
accurately represent the behavior, emotions, and experiences of visitors in a location.
A comprehensive measurement scale for tourist engagement in cruise travel was created
by Huang and Choi (2019). This four-dimensional measure encompasses social contact, interaction
with staff, relatedness (referring to the sense of connection with travel companions), and activity-
related engagement. A few essential engagement qualities should be highlighted when defining

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visitor engagement from the perspective of social science and marketing in general (TE). TE cannot
be separated from the venue and its participants, such as personnel, the local population, other
tourists, and members of companion groups. Second, engagement goes beyond the transaction
process and is engrained in the subject-object co-creation of value interactions. Using available
resources, the subject is forced to get active or participate in value co-creation. Finally, whereas
some research concentrates on a particular aspect of engagement (such as consumer engagement
behavior), the majority stresses its complexity via a multidimensional approach that combines
cognition, emotion, and behavior. This method was used in TE because continuous psychological
connection and behavioral participation are essential components of engagement.

Components of Tourist Engagement

Interaction
According to Vivek (2009), an essential aspect of consumer/tourist engagement involves
the vital process of sharing and exchanging ideas, thoughts, and emotions concerning one's
experiences with the brand/destination, as well as with other consumers, residents, or
stakeholders. The brand community literature (Muniz & O'Guinn, 2001) facilitates these
interactions among visitors, local community members, and other stakeholders. The interaction
aspect of visitor engagement alludes to behavior, such as positive interactions with the location (So
et al., 2014). To assess this particular facet of the tourist engagement viewpoint, the subsequent
statements are employed: "I am someone who enjoys interacting with a similar tourism
community," "I am someone who enjoys actively participating in tourism site community
discussions," and "In general, I thoroughly enjoy exchanging ideas with other members of the
tourism site community."

Attention
Attention refers to the conscious or unconscious concentration of a consumer or tourist on a brand
or location. Devoting consistent attention to a specific destination is expected to heighten levels of
engagement, as indicated by research conducted by Lin et al. (2008) and Scholer & Higgins (2009).
Furthermore, the study conducted by So et al. (2014) discovered that tourists who display an
interest in deepening their knowledge about a destination by means of advertisements and news
articles tend to exhibit greater engagement with the destination and demonstrate increased
attentiveness towards it. Therefore, items such as "I pay close attention to all aspects of this tourism
site" and "I pay close attention throughout my entire visit at this tourism site" can be used to
measure attentiveness.

Absorption
On the other hand, absorption refers to a level of consumer/tourist interest in a brand/destination
that is all-consuming (Schaufeli et al., 2002). Even if customers are ignorant of how much time they
have spent with a brand or place, they are viewed as exhibiting a desirable attribute when contently
immersed in it (Scholer & Higgins, 2009). Consequently, a traveler who is engrossed and content
when visiting a location might easily lose track of time (So et al., 2014). This dimension of tourist
engagement with a destination is measured using the following items: "When interacting with the
tourism site, I forget everything else around me"; "When interacting with the tourism site, time
flies"; "When interacting with the tourism site, I get carried away"; and "When interacting with the
tourism site, I find it difficult to detach myself."

Destination Loyalty
According to Oliver (1999), tourist loyalty is "a firm commitment to purchase or re-

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consume a selected product/service in the future." This leads to repeated purchases of the same
brand or package, despite the presence of situational and marketing triggers that may normally
induce switching behavior. High-loyalty tourists constitute a substantial business segment for
numerous tourism destinations. Since tourists are more likely to stay longer than first-time visitors,
they are more likely to spread good word of mouth (WOM) and participate in additional consumer
activities (Wardi, 2018). In addition, compared to acquiring first-time visitors, recurring visitors
reduce marketing expenditures (Loureiro, 2008).
According to Kandampully and Suhartanto (2000), a loyal client repurchases the same
goods or services from a provider whenever feasible and continues to suggest the provider or has
a favorable opinion about it. In brief, marketing literature sometimes refers to repeated purchases
or referrals to others as consumer loyalty (Yoon & Uysal, 2005). Loyalty has been quantified in the
following ways: (a) behaviorally (Iordanova, 2016), (ii) attitudinally (Iordanova, 2016), and (iii)
compositely (Iordanova, 2016). (Yoon & Uysal, 2005).
Customer loyalty is viewed behaviorally as a behavior that may be quantified regarding
repeat purchases, buy frequency, or purchase share (Kabiraj & Shanmugan, 2011). Consumer
loyalty is an endeavor of customers to move beyond overt behavior and structure and the inability
to describe the elements that impact customer loyalty (Wu, 2016). As a result, the attitudinal
method is the most appropriate for analyzing visitor loyalty, as tourism destination experiences are
distinct from other consumer goods (Ekinci et al., 2013).

Hypotheses Development
The Effect of Tourist Engagement on Destination Loyalty
Through a connection between customers and businesses, an understanding of tourist
engagement may develop. Despite the growing clarity regarding the advantages and
comprehension of tourist engagement, there is still a need for further empirical research to explore
the development of this concept. Previous studies have primarily concentrated on conceptual
associations without conducting empirical examinations, as noted by Brodie et al. (2011).
Specifically, companies have widely implemented tourist engagement strategies, also known as
employee engagement (Vivek et al., 2012). Previously, it was recommended to apply employee
engagement to consumer engagement (Patterson et al., 2006). Both of these concepts demonstrate
the passion, vigor, and exhilaration associated with an attachment relationship. So, King and Sparks
(2014) define customer engagement as a marketing activity centered on the behavior and
psychology of the consumer. According to Zou et al. (2022), place attachment and its aspects are
positively associated with tourist loyalty, including tourist behavior loyalty, tourist attitude loyalty,
and composite loyalty. In addition, place identity affects visitor loyalty more than any other aspect
of place attachment. Depending on the extent of consumers' interpersonal and affective
involvement, company-customer connections with a high level of engagement can affect customer
satisfaction (Sashi, 2012). Clients who utilize a company's services experience positive emotions
such as happiness, excitement, and satisfaction. When the engagement process begins, customers
endeavor to increase their knowledge and social connection with brands (businesses) or with other
customers to learn more about the brand (Wirtz et al., 2013). Thus, engagement connections
between consumers and businesses may serve as an alternative method for customers to evaluate
the service performance of the company (Brodie et al., 2011). If the company's service or response
satisfies the customer's expectations during the interaction, both parties will feel satisfied
(Hollebeek, 2011). Consequently, the hypotheses of this research paper are as follows:

H1: Enthusiasm significantly affects destination loyalty.

H2: Attention significantly affects destination loyalty.

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H3: Absorption significantly affects destination loyalty.

H4: Interaction significantly affects destination loyalty.
H5: Identification significantly affects destination loyalty.

RESEARCH METHOD
Participants
The study respondents were selected using a convenience sampling technique. They were
the residents of Ilocos Norte who have visited Pagudpod White Beaches, Kapurpurawan Rock
Formation, Paoay Church, and La Paz Sand Dunes within the last 12 months (May 2021-April 2022).
The original plan of the researcher was 500 respondents, but because Google Forms was utilized,
there were about 1400 who answered the questionnaire completely.

Table 1. Tourists’ Socio-Demographic Profile

Tourist’s Characteristics Frequency Percentage
Employment Status
Private 853 61
Government 546 39
Age
18-21 275 19.7
22-25 415 29.7
26-29 292 29.6
30-34 155 11.1
35-39 85 6.1
40-44 65 4.6
45-49 41 2.9
50-54 29 2.1
55-59 20 1.4
60 above 22 1.6
Gender
Male 555 39.7
Female 844 60.3

Research Instrument
This research used a descriptive-correlational methodology. The questionnaire served as
the tool of research in the present study. The instrument included respondent demographics (kind
of employment, age, gender, and level of education) and questions (measured on a 4-point Likert
scale) for six (6) latent variables (enthusiasm, attention, absorption, interaction, and identification
(tourist engagement), and destination loyalty). The 4-item enthusiasm, 4-item attention, 5-item
absorption, 5-item interaction, 3-item identification, and 5-item loyalty were adopted from the
study of Rasoolimanesh (2020) entitled Tourist Engagement and Loyalty: Gender Matters?

Data Analysis
Using a predictive-correlational approach, the proposed structural model on the
relationship between visitor engagement and destination loyalty was examined to determine its
applicability. Using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method,
parameter estimates for the proposed model were determined. In addition, One-Way ANOVA was
used to determine the significance of the differences in demographic profile, visitor engagement,

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and destination loyalty.

Ethical Considerations
Local visitors in Ilocos Norte were studied ethically. Participants learned about the study's
goal and their unique contribution. After explaining the study's aim, informed consent was
obtained. Participants might leave the study at any time. All questions were addressed honestly.
The researcher followed all guidelines during the study. The researcher ensured that respondents
received the best, benefited from the study's results, helped improve teaching and learning, and
were never physically, mentally, or emotionally harmed. Informed consent also comprised (a) a
researcher-participant agreement to participate in the study. Sufficient information will be
presented and explained to participants at their level of comprehension, (b) information from
which they can withdraw at any time, ask questions, and refuse to answer questions if they are
uncomfortable, (c) an explanation of the study's potential risks and benefits to help them make
informed decisions about their participation, and (d) a description of the participants. Data
gathering required a completed permission form.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

The relationship between two variables, including tourist engagement and destination
loyalty, was investigated using PLS-SEM. Two phases are included in the PLS-SEM path model
evaluation (Hulland, 1999). The first section consists of a measurement model evaluation. This
stage analyzes the validity and reliability of the variables. The second stage evaluates the structural
model by examining the hypothesized connections between variables (Hulland, 1999; Dimaunahan
& Amora, 2016).

Indicators of Model Fit and Quality

Table 2 displays the structural equation model's model fit coefficients and quality
indicators. According to the overall results, the SEM estimates fall within the allowable range.

Table 2. Model Fit and Quality Indices of SEM.

Model fit and Quality Indices Coefficients

APC 0.101, p<0.001
ARS 0.636, p<0.001
AARS 0.634, p<0.001
AVIF 2.973
AFVIF 2.728
Tenenhaus GoF 0.726

For the model to be deemed acceptable, the p-values of the average path coefficient (APC),
average R-squared (ARS), average block VIF (AVIF), and average full collinearity VIF (AFVIF)
indices must be less than 3.30. (Kock, 2017). Tenenhaus goodness of fit (GoF), an indicator of the
model's explanatory power (Kock, 2017), is categorized as small if it is greater than 0.1, medium if
it is greater than 0.25, and large if it is greater than 0.36. (Wetzels, Odekerken-Schroder, & van
Oppen, 2009; Kock, 2017). The GoF is computed utilizing the average communality index and the
square root of the ARS (Tenenhaus, Vinzi, Chatelain, and Lauro, 2005). The model's fit and quality
indices lie within acceptable limits, as shown in Table 2.

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Reliability and Validity Measurements

Table 3. Item Loadings, AVE, and Reliability of the Variables

Item
Construct/Items AVE CR CA
Loading
Enthusiasm
I am very interested in this tourist site. 0.870
I am enthusiastic about this travel site. 0.914
I am excited about this tourist destination. 0.895 0.936 0.909
I am enthusiastic about this tourist
0.865 0.786
attraction.
Attention
I'm curious to learn more about this tourist
0.878
attraction.
Anything associated with this tourist
0.866
destination piques my interest.
I focus intensely on my visit to this tourist
0.867
attraction.
I enjoy discovering more about this tourist
0.889 0.766 0.929 0.898
attraction.
Absorption
When interacting with the visitor site, I must
0.860
recall everything in my immediate vicinity.
When interacting with the tourist site, I
0.885
became captivated.
When interacting with the tourism site, I
0.862
require assistance detaching.
0.739 0.934 0.911
Immersed in my interactions with the
0.883
tourism site.
When interacting intensively with the
0.805
tourism site, I experience happiness.
Interaction
I enjoy participating in tourism site
0.887
community discussions.
I appreciate interacting with a tourism
0.858 0.772 0.944 0.926
community that shares my interests.
I enjoy actively participating in community
0.900
discussions on tourism-related sites.
I enjoy exchanging ideas with other members
0.888
of the tourism site community tremendously.
I frequently participate in tourism site
0.860
community activities.
Identification
When someone criticizes this tourism site, it
0.893
feels like a personal attack.
I typically refer to the site as "we" rather than
0.896 0.795 0.921 0.871
"they" because its identity suits me.

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When this tourist destination is praised, it

0.886
feels like a personal compliment.
Loyalty
Positive remarks about this tourist
0.905 0.796 0.951 0.936
destination to others.
I would recommend this tourist destination
0.899
to anyone seeking my advice.
I encourage my family and acquaintances to
0.878
conduct commerce with this tourism site.
In the coming years, I will visit this tourist
0.891
destination more frequently.
I intend to return to this tourist destination
0.887
in the future.

To evaluate the measurement model, the reliability and validity tests (convergent and
discriminant) were investigated. The assessment of construct dependability permits the
investigation of a reflective item or collection of reflective items regarding the construct for which
it is intended to test (Straub, Boudreau, & Gefen, 2004; Roldan & Sanchez-Franco, 2012).
Frequently, composite reliability and Cronbach's alpha are utilized to assess dependability (Kock,
2017). To indicate high dependability, the composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach's alpha (CA)
scores must be at least 0.70. (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994). According to Table 3, the construct
dependability criteria were met by the variables of visitor involvement (enthusiasm, attention,
assimilation, interaction, and identification) and loyalty.
In contrast, convergent validity evaluates the quality of the questions or question
statements on a research instrument. This indicates that the participants understand the objects
and question statements of each construct as their creators intended (Kock, 2017). The p-values for
each item must be less than or equal to 0.05, and the loadings must be greater than or equal to 0.5
for convergent validity. (Kock, 2017). The relationship between an item and a structure is known
as item loading (Kock, 2017). All item loadings in Table 3 are statistically significant and exceed the
0.5 thresholds. In addition, the average variance extracted (AVE) quantifies the variation of each
construct extracted from its components relative to the measurement error variance (Amora et al.,
2016). Each latent variable's AVE exceeds the suggested validity threshold of 0.5. (Fornell &
Larcker, 1981). Calculations of accurate AVE coefficients were made.

Table 4. Square Roots of AVE Coefficients and Correlation Coefficients

Enthusiasm Attention Absorption Interaction Identification Loyalty
Enthusiasm 0.886
Attention 0.771 0.875
Absorption 0.658 0.696 0.859
Interaction 0.658 0.738 0.727 0.879
Identification 0.612 0.648 0.710 0.727 0.891
Loyalty 0.663 0.721 0.635 0.694 0.672 0.892

Table 4 presents the correlations between variables based on the square roots of AVE coefficients
in order to evaluate the discriminant validity of the instrument. In terms of discriminant validity, it
is determined whether or not questionnaire respondents can interpret the statements associated
with each latent variable. Moreover, it ensures that, for example, claims about a particular variable
do not contradict assertions about other variables (Kock, 2017). The square root of the average

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value of each variable must exceed the square root of any correlation between variables (Fornell &
Larcker, 1981). It is possible to conclude, based on the data, that the study's measures have
discriminant validity.

Path Results

Table 5. Path Results

Hypotheses Β P-value SE. f2
H1. Enthusiasm Loyalty 0.149 <0.001 0.026 0.099
H2. Attention Loyalty 0.296 <0.001 0.026 0.214
H3. Absorption Loyalty 0.007 0.396 0.027 0.005
H4 Interaction Loyalty 0.187 <0.001 0.026 0.131
H5 Identification Loyalty 0.252 <0.001 0.026 0.172

Table 5 presents the model for a substantial relationship test. There are significant
relationships between enthusiasm and loyalty (B=0.149, p<0.01), attention and loyalty (B=0.296,
p<0.01), interaction and loyalty (B=0.187, p<0.01), and identification and loyalty (B=0.252,
p<0.01), but there is no significant relationship between absorption and loyalty (B=0.007,
p=0.396).
There are significant relationships between enthusiasm and loyalty (B=0.149, p<0.01),
attention and loyalty (B=0.296, p<0.01), interaction and loyalty (B=0.187, p<0.01), and
identification and loyalty (B=0.252, p<0.01), but there is no significant relationship between
absorption and loyalty (B=0.007, p=0.396). The parameter estimates for the mediation model are
given in Table 5. The examination of the data demonstrated that a respondent's enthusiasm
influences their loyalty (B=0.149, p<0.001). The positive route coefficient illustrates how passion
increases destination loyalty. Cohen's f2 = 0.099 indicates that the path from enthusiasm to loyalty
has a low impact size. The conclusion suggests support for H1. Attention influences loyalty
significantly (B=0.296, p<0.001). The positive route coefficient suggests that attention to a
destination increases destination loyalty. Cohen's f2 = 0.214 indicates that the path from attention
to destination loyalty has a moderate impact magnitude. Consequently, H2 is supported.
Absorption, however, does not affect destination loyalty (B=0.007, p=0.396). Consequently, H3 is
not supported. Moreover, interaction has a statistically significant influence on destination loyalty
(B=0.187, p<0.001). The positive route coefficient suggests that the presence of the interaction
encourages destination loyalty. The relationship between engagement and loyalty has a
considerable influence (Cohen's f2=0.131). Consequently, H4 is supported. In addition, identity has
a statistically significant influence on loyalty (B=0.252, p<0.001). The presence of identification
improves loyalty, as indicated by the positive path coefficient. The relationship between identity
and loyalty has a sizeable effect (Cohen's f2=0.172). Consequently, H5 is supported.

Significant Differences
Table 6 presents the significant differences in the responses of the tourists on the different
components of tourist engagement and destination loyalty. As gleaned from the table, as to
employment status, the results showed no significant differences in the responses. This means that
whether the tourist is a government or private employee, their response to tourist engagement and
destination loyalty is the same. On the other hand, as to sex, there are three components in which
the tourists have significant differences: attention, identification, and destination loyalty. It means
that females want to learn more about the tourist destination, can identify more, and are more loyal
to these tourist destinations than males. Lastly, as to age, older tourists are more loyal and can

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identify more with the destination than younger tourists.

Table 6. Significant Differences

Employment Status Sex Age
F df 2 p F df2 p F df2 p
Enthusiasm 0.36635 1185 0.545 3.44 1152 0.064 2.418 175 0.013
Attention 2.00626 1250 0.157 8.01 1136 0.005 0.882 174 0.543
Absorption 0.00226 1226 0.962 2.34 1145 0.126 2.820 174 0.004
Interaction 3.27120 1231 0.071 3.33 1144 0.068 2.533 174 0.009
Identification 0.00246 1216 0.960 10.23 1132 0.001 6.478 176 <.001
Loyalty 0.90008 1260 0.343 9.05 1125 0.003 4.862 177 <.001

CONCLUSIONS
This study's outcomes illustrate the need to study visitors to understand differences in their
behavior, cognition, and emotions, as well as the factors that influence their loyalty. The word
"engagement" has gained widespread use throughout the last decade. It is used widely by marketing
professionals to understand the client experience better and maintain consumer loyalty. The
mechanism for customer loyalty may be investigated further by including the emotional connection
and value co-creation process between consumers and a company, i.e., via customer engagement.
This study's concept of tourist engagement seeks to assess the quality of a memorable tourist
experience and develop a lasting emotional connection between tourists and a region.
In this research, enthusiasm, attention, interaction, and identification are essential to
tourist engagement. However, one component, absorption, is tested incognizant to destination
loyalty. Absorption is an all-consuming level of tourist interest in a destination (Schaufeli, Salanova,
González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002). This means that local tourists are not becoming loyal to
destinations because they are interested in them. This result was quite unexpected, especially
considering the extent of visitor absorption in the tourist destinations in the province of Ilocos
Norte.
Notably, attention emerged as the one with the most impact on destination loyalty. It
improves the behavioral, cognitive, emotional, social, and psychological elements of visitor
experiences. The findings demonstrate the necessity of attracting and retaining the attention of
travelers to foster destination loyalty. Previous literature by Hung et al. (2021) suggested the same
findings as attention having the most impact on destination loyalty. Moreover, in a study by Zhou
et al. (2022), tourist engagement is directly affecting destination loyalty. It was found that tourist
engagement is directly correlated to destination loyalty.
As to significant differences in the responses, older female tourists are more loyal to certain
tourist destinations. In order to attract female visitors, local authorities must establish a sense of
tourist identity and appreciation, which are prerequisites for generating high levels of loyalty.
Strategies to increase identification and engage female visitors may differ depending on their travel
groups.

LIMITATIONS & FURTHER RESEARCH

Local governments and tourism organizations may reap substantial benefits from this
study. This study illustrates a variety of optimal designs and essential criteria for nurturing tourist
loyalty in Ilocos Norte. To attract tourists, local authorities should focus on fostering tourist
attention and identification, which are prerequisites for achieving high levels of loyalty, and tourist
attention, which has the greatest impact on achieving loyalty. Depending on the travel categories of

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guests, strategies for attracting and engaging visitors may vary. Consider a traveler who is
accompanied by her family. In this instance, tourism providers must be perceived as having taken
care of everything so that tourists can "forget everything else," "get carried away," and "be
immersed" - research indicates that tourists traveling with families find it difficult to be engaged at
a tourism site because gendered roles and social norms often dictate that travelers assume
responsibility for their travel companions and return from vacations exhausted. A second strategy
for attracting more visitors is to increase the safety of tourist destinations, particularly for solo
travelers. It is simpler to immerse oneself in a tourist destination when one is aware of its terrifying
and dangerous topography. Incorporating more inclusive interactions, such as pre-booking,
booking, and ingesting, may also increase interest.
Consequently, the provincial government must prioritize the demands and needs of visitors
throughout their stay. Tourism is a unique service industry in which hospitality, dedication, and
awareness of customer demands (ranging from fundamental ones such as rest periods and leisure
activities to specific cuisine preferences) have a direct impact on customer loyalty. The study's
findings indicate that the tourism industry in the province may take various measures to increase
consumer loyalty to its services.
Lastly, gender-based research should be conducted to determine if there is a significant
difference between female and male tourists. This would contribute significantly to the academic
literature by contrasting the involvement and loyalty of male and female visitors to a place.

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