Factors Affecting International Tourist Revisit Intention to Nigeria: Evidence from Visitors at Key Lagos and Abuja Attractions

This study identifies and examines the factors affecting international tourist revisit intention to Nigeria, with data collected from visitors at major Lagos and Abuja attractions. Nigeria's international tourism market is characterised by low repeat visitation rates relative to regional competitors, and understanding the determinants of revisit intention is essential for designing effective destination loyalty strategies. A quantitative research design is adopted with questionnaires administered to 280 international tourists at departure lounges and major hotel lobbies in Lagos and Abuja over a four-month data collection period. An extended revisit intention model incorporating overall destination satisfaction, perceived value, destination trust, cultural novelty, and negative experience factors is tested using structural equation modelling. Findings reveal that overall destination satisfaction and perceived cultural novelty are the two strongest positive predictors of revisit intention, collectively accounting for 52 percent of variance. Destination trust, operationalised as confidence in personal safety and service reliability, exerts a significant conditional positive effect on revisit intention particularly among first-time visitors. Negative experience factors including airport immigration challenges and visa renewal complexity are found to significantly suppress revisit intention. The study recommends enhanced destination experience quality improvement across all identified negative touchpoints, development of a returning visitor facilitation programme including streamlined re-entry processes, and targeted post-visit communication strategies to sustain destination emotional connection. Keywords: revisit intention, international tourists, destination satisfaction, Nigeria, destination loyalty