Psychological drivers of decision making in ski tourists: Impact of destination attractiveness, satisfaction, and place attachment

A comprehensive literature review revealed that most scholars in the field of ski tourism have examined destination attractiveness as an external factor and that the pathway from cognitive evaluation to emotional attachment to behavioral intention remains untested. Therefore, based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory, we constructed a structural model to investigate the structural relationships and mediating effects among destination attractiveness, satisfaction, place attachment, and behavioral intentions in the context of ski tourism. Based on data from 766 ski tourists in Jilin City, the results show that destination attractiveness had a positive impact on both satisfaction and behavioral intention. Place attachment also had a significant impact on behavioral intention. In addition, satisfaction and place attachment had a cascade mediating effect on the relationship between destination attractiveness and behavioral intention. Our framework revealed the dynamic relationship among the four variables and clarified the decision making of ski tourists. These findings provide theoretical support and practical guidance for research on and management of ski tourism destinations, while also extending the application of the S-O-R theory and enhancing theoretical understanding of the relationships between consumer psychology and tourism behavior.