Transformative workcations in coastal tourism destinations: Reference-dependent place attachment and loss aversion in future travel intentions

This study analyzes the role of place attachment in influencing workcationers’ future intentions to revisit a destination, either for future workcations or leisure travel. Building on self-determination theory, transformative tourism, and reference dependence theory, this study argues that transformative experiences in coastal workcations foster place attachment, which subsequently drives behavioral intentions. Importantly, place attachment is conceptualized as reference-dependent, meaning travelers evaluate their emotional connection to a destination relative to psychographic or demographic peer groups. The results demonstrate that place attachment fully mediates the relationship between transformation and intentions under psychographic segmentation and partially mediates it under demographic segmentation. Findings reveal a loss aversion effect, where below-average attachment (attachment loss) has a stronger negative impact than above-average attachment (attachment gain). This study highlights place attachment’s pivotal role in understanding how travelers’ psychological bonds with coastal destinations form and influence their future choices.