Demystifying destination attachment, self-congruity and revisiting intention in dark tourism destinations through the gender-based lens

Drawing on self-congruity theory, we construct and examine a theoretical model that explores the effect of destination attachment on revisiting intention via ideal and actual self-congruity through a gender-based lens. We gathered data from 301 travellers visiting the Çanakkale dark destination in Türkiye and empirically analysed it by adopting PLS-Henseler’s multigroup and PLS-permutation analysis. Our results confirm significant differences between the effects of destination attachment and self-congruity dimensions (e.g. ideal and actual self-congruity) on travellers’ revisit intention. However, only ideal self-congruity mediates the relationships of attachment towards revisit intention, with this intervention effect being positive for males whereas negative for females. This study offers prominent theoretical and practical contributions to the gender-based destination-marketing research agenda with reliable suggestions for dark-destination authorities and marketers.