Tourist satisfaction and revisit intention in tropical mountain resorts: A structural equation modeling study in a developing country context

This research explores factors influencing tourist satisfaction and revisit intention in tropical mountain resorts based on a case study in Dalat City of Vietnam - a developing country. A mixed-method approach was applied with data from 380 tourists, analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that tourist revisit intention is directly influenced by satisfaction, emotional value, safety and security, tourism products, prices and tourism information. Tourist satisfaction is directly affected by factors including safety and security, tourism infrastructure, price, tourism products and emotional value. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of emotional value and a newly validated item in the satisfaction scale (HL4), reflecting the emotional relief and relaxation experienced by tourists, which are underexplored in tropical mountain tourism research. The study results are the basis for expanding research directions and proposing policy implications for developing mountain resort tourism in tropical countries.