Tourists’ novelty and familiarity: Their effects on satisfaction and destination loyalty

Novelty and familiarity play a important role in tourists’ perception, and these have been treated as opposite concepts for a long period. However, in recent cognitive neuroscience literature, it is suggested that novelty and familiarity are distinct concepts, which independently influence consumer behavior (Shimojo, 2008). On this basis, this study aimed to examine the difference between the effects of novelty and familiarity on satisfaction and destination loyalty. The results reflected their different roles. Both novelty and familiarity contribute to destination loyalty. Meanwhile, only novelty has an effect on the formation of satisfaction. It can be inferred that tourists want to experience new things in familiar destinations. Managerial implications are also discussed briefly.