Do Authentic Experiences in Tourist Destinations Influence Everyday Purchase Behavior?: Moderating Effect of Destination Brand Self-congruence

Research has shown that authentic experiences at tourist destinations, referred to as destination authenticity, lead to increased revisit intentions and recommendations. However, studies demonstrating the impact of destination authenticity on everyday purchasing behavior are scarce. To address this research gap, based on autobiographical memory and consumer inference theory, this study re-examines the relationship between destination authenticity and purchase behavior toward brands created in tourism destinations encountered in everyday life. This study reveals that brand authenticity mediates destination authenticity's effect on the purchase intention toward destination brands. Furthermore, the effects of destination authenticity on brand authenticity, as well as brand authenticity on purchase intention, are moderated by destination brand self-congruence. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by examining the mechanisms of tourists' purchase behavior, based on autobiographical memory and consumer inference theory. In addition, it sheds light on the boundary conditions under which the impact of destination authenticity on brand authenticity and that of brand authenticity on purchase intention are enhanced.