Fostering conative loyalty in tourism and hospitality loyalty programs: an eye-tracking experiment of reward timing, fairness perception, and visual attention

This study investigates the impact of reward timing (immediate versus delayed rewards) on conative loyalty (deliberate, intention-based commitment to repeatedly choose a specific brand, even in the face of competing alternatives) within tourism and hospitality loyalty programs. Employing eye-tracking technology, we examine how different levels of fairness perception and visual attention influence conative loyalty, contingent on reward timing. Our experiment utilizes simulated loyalty program advertisements from travel agencies and restaurants to assess these dynamics. Findings reveal that immediate rewards significantly enhance conative loyalty compared to delayed rewards, especially when coupled with heightened fairness perceptions and visual attention. The elasticity of conative loyalty escalates with heightened perceived fairness and increased visual attention–a trend more pronounced with immediate rewards. Therefore, the study underscores the critical influence of immediate gratification in loyalty programs, illustrating that timely rewards can be a decisive factor in solidifying conative loyalty and ensuring customer retention in the competitive tourism and hospitality sector.