The Relationship Between Travel Motivation and Revisit Intention: The Case of Safranbolu

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this study is to examine the travel motivations of individuals visiting the destination of Safranbolu, which is distinguished by its cultural heritage and historical texture, and their intention to revisit; specifically, to investigate the effect of travel motivations on revisit intention and to reveal the relationship between these two variables.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted using a quantitative research method, and a total of six hypotheses were established. To test the hypotheses, data were collected through an online survey shared between March 12 and April 13, 2025. Ethical approval for the survey was obtained from the Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Human Research Ethics Committee with decision number 576625. All 404 people who started the survey completed it. Measurement models were refined based on the model fit indices and evaluated accordingly.
Results – According to the results obtained, relaxation motivation was found to be the strongest predictor of revisit intention, while the effects of experience and exploration dimensions were limited. The overall model fit was within acceptable limits, and the structure was theoretically supported.
Discussion – Statistically significant but with a small effect size were identified between travel motivation and revisit intention. In particular, cultural experience and the search for an authentic environment were found to have a significant and positive effect on revisit intention.