Relationship between prior knowledge, destination reputation, and loyalty among sport tourists

Sport tourism is anticipated as one of the key industries that can vitalize a community with a wide variety of attractive natural resources. This research focusses on the relationship between tourists’ prior knowledge of the destination, destination reputation, and destination loyalty. Data were collected from domestic sport tourists who visited Niseko Adventure Centre during August, 2018 (N = 221). Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, the results showed a significant relationship between prior knowledge, reputation, and loyalty, which explained 34% of the model. Sport tourism is expected to be one of the key elements to stimulate rural areas by utilizing their potential natural resources. In this research, we observed Niseko district to clarify the relationship between destination prior knowledge, reputation, and loyalty. As a result, we were able to conclude that, by focusing attention on information search processes, marketers can develop effective marketing strategies.