Experiencing Samoa Through Shopping: Satisfaction, Revisit Intention, and the Roles of Visitor Type and Length of Stay

Abstract

Tourist shopping is no longer viewed only as a commercial activity, but as an important component of the overall destination experience. The study explores the relationship among shopping experience, overall satisfaction, and revisit intention. Although the relationships among tourist experience, satisfaction, and revisit intention have been widely discussed in tourism studies, the role of shopping experience remains less examined, particularly in Pacific Island destinations where local products are closely connected with cultural identity, authenticity, and community livelihoods.

Based on this research gap, this dissertation investigates how shopping experience influences overall satisfaction and revisit intention among international tourists in Samoa. It also examines whether overall satisfaction mediates the relationship between shopping experience and revisit intention. Furthermore, the study explores the moderating roles of visitor type and length of stay (LOS). These two variables are included to understand whether destination familiarity and time availability shape the effects of shopping experience.

A quantitative research design was adopted. The study used secondary data from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) conducted in Samoa from 2022 to 2023, with a valid sample of 2,350 international tourists. Data were analysed using SPSS and the PROCESS macro. Correlation analysis was used to examine associations among the main variables. PROCESS Model 4 was applied to examine the mediating role of overall satisfaction, while Model 1 was used for the moderation tests and Model 7 for the moderated mediation analysis.

The results further reveal that visitor type and length of stay changed how strongly shopping experience influenced overall satisfaction. Shopping experience played a stronger role in shaping satisfaction among repeat visitors than among first-time visitors, and its influence also increased when tourists stayed longer in Samoa. In addition, the pathway from shopping experience to revisit intention via overall satisfaction was more pronounced for repeat visitors and for tourists with longer stays.

This dissertation contributes to tourism literature by showing that shopping experience can play a meaningful role in tourists’ destination evaluations in a Pacific Island context. It also demonstrates that visitor type and LOS are important boundary conditions in the relationship between shopping experience, satisfaction, and revisit intention. Practically, the findings provide implications for the Samoa Tourism Authority, destination marketers, local retailers, craft producers, tour operators, and community-based tourism stakeholders. The study suggests that shopping experiences in Samoa should be developed through cultural storytelling, product interpretation, visitor information, and differentiated experience design for first-time visitors, repeat visitors, short-stay tourists, and longer-stay tourists.