How nostalgia forges place attachment and revisit intention: a moderated mediation model

Purpose: Analyzing sport fans' emotions has attracted much attention and offered important implications for research on sport consumer behavior. As such, diverse emotional factors have been considered to understand their behavioral responses. However, the concept of nostalgia has been examined to a lesser extent in the context of sport. Thus, this study investigated the role of nostalgia and its relationships with place attachment and revisit intention. The frequency of past experience was used as a moderator in this study. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection was performed during six professional baseball games in South Korea, and 461 responses were collected from sport tourists. This study tested the reliability and validity of the measurement model and examined the relationships between constructs. Findings: Results showed that nostalgia positively affected place attachment and revisit intention; place attachment played a mediating role between nostalgia and revisit intention. In addition, this study found that the relationship between nostalgia and place attachment was moderated by past experience. Originality/value: This study identified how nostalgia can drive the development of a bond between place and sport fans, encouraging them to keep returning to the place where they are attached.