Building Tourist Loyalty in Cultural Museums: The Roles of Satisfaction, Destination Image, and Service Quality at Ullen Sentalu

Abstract

Tourist loyalty is an important factor in sustaining the competitiveness and long-term attractiveness of cultural tourism destinations, particularly museums that rely on meaningful visitor experiences and positive perceptions. This study examines the effects of satisfaction, destination image, and service quality on tourist loyalty at the Ullen Sentalu Museum in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A quantitative approach was employed using data collected from 110 tourists who had visited the museum. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares with SmartPLS version 3.29. The measurement model was evaluated through convergent validity, discriminant validity, composite reliability, and Cronbach’s alpha, while the structural model was assessed to examine the proposed relationships among the variables. The findings demonstrate that satisfaction, destination image, and service quality each have a positive and significant effect on tourist loyalty. Satisfaction shows the strongest influence, followed by destination image and service quality. The findings indicate that tourists who experience higher satisfaction, perceive a more favorable destination image, and receive better service are more likely to develop stronger loyalty toward the museum. These results highlight the importance of integrating visitor experience, destination positioning, and service delivery to strengthen tourist loyalty and support the sustainable development of cultural museum tourism.