Drivers of Value Creation in An Ecotourist Destination: Disentangling the Links that Tie Travellers’ Motivations and the Destination’s Image

Ecotourists’ motivations are a fundamental concept in travel behaviour and determine different aspects of tourism activities, which will eventually reflect the value created by the travelling experience. This paper aims to evaluate the mediating role of the image of a destination on the perceived value of travellers. We analysed a sample of 382 visitors in three ecotouristic destinations located in Ecuador by using the partial least squares (PLS) methodology. Results show that utilitarian motivations related to enriching travellers lives (self-development) or to escaping from daily routines or social pressures (ego-defensive) are the most significant predictors of perceived value. Similarly, the social and emotional dimensions are the most important in the value assessment of an ecotourist destination. Managerial implications clearly arise from the results’ discussion. Ecotourist destination managers will have to closely examine these motivations in order to adapt destination services to enhance aspects that reinforce travellers’ motivations.