The impact of cultural distance on destination image and revisit intention of international tourists in Vietnam
Vol. 135 No. 5D (2026), Original Article
Vol. 135 No. 5D (2026)

The impact of cultural distance on destination image and revisit intention of international tourists in Vietnam

Original Article
https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijed.v135i5D.8551
Published 2026-11-11
Nguyen Thi Thien Trang
School of Hospitality and Tourism, 22 Lam Hoang St., Hue City, Viet Nam
Nguyen Thi Cam Le
Vietnam Aviation Academy, 104 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Le Van Hoa
School of Hospitality and Tourism, 22 Lam Hoang St., Hue City, Viet Nam

Keywords

cultural distance
cognitive image
affective image
revisit intention

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among perceived cultural distance (CD), destination image, and revisit intention among international tourists in Vietnam. Grounded in the perceived-cultural-distance tradition (Fan et al., 2017, 2023) and interpreted through a stimulus-organism-response framework (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974), the study proposes a model linking CD to cognitive image, affective image, and revisit intention. Data from 330 international tourists were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that CD positively influences cognitive image, affective image, and revisit intention, and that both image dimensions positively predict revisit intention, with affective image exerting a markedly stronger effect, in which affective evaluations are more behaviorally proximal than cognitive ones. Cognitive and affective image are further confirmed as significant mediators between CD and revisit intention. CD's positive effect is tentatively interpreted, rather than empirically demonstrated, as conditional on a boundary mechanism proposed for this sample: self-congruity between an exploration-oriented self-concept and a culturally distant destination, an association found to be more pronounced among individualistic-origin tourists (Litvin & Goh, 2003) who form a substantial share of this sample. These findings extend the cultural-distance literature by proposing a testable boundary condition that may help reconcile the mixed findings reported across prior destinations and offer destination managers segmentation and experience-design implications for strengthening Vietnam's tourism competitiveness among culturally distant markets. 

https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijed.v135i5D.8551

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