Cultural icon and tourist loyalty: evidence from the Gandrung Sewu Culture Festival

Purpose– This study investigates the role of cultural icon and destination image in influencing revisit intention through tourist satisfaction in the context of cultural festival tourism. Design/methodology/approach– A descriptive quantitative approach and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were employed to examine five direct and two indirect relationships. Data were collected through an offline survey using accidental sampling from 252 tourists attending the Gandrung Sewu Cultural Festival in Banyuwangi, Indonesia. SmartPLS 3.0 was used to evaluate the measurement and structural models. Findings– Cultural icon and destination image positively and significantly affect tourist satisfaction and revisit intention. Destination image has a stronger influence on tourist satisfaction than cultural icon. Tourist satisfaction also positively influences revisit intention and significantly mediates the effects of cultural icon and destination image on revisit intention. Originality/value– This study extends cultural tourism literature by highlighting the role of cultural icons as symbolic cultural representations that enhance tourist satisfaction and revisit intention. It provides empirical evidence from a cultural festival in a developing country, addressing the limited research on cultural icons within festival tourism and offering insights for destination branding and festival management.