The impact of tour services on international tourist satisfaction in Elmina, Ghana

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present specific tour services that influence international tourist satisfaction (ITS) and behavioural intentions (BIs) utilising transaction-specific customer satisfaction theory in a developing country. Identified factors will help stakeholders to plan, market and brand Elmina, Ghana, as a viable tourism destination to attract more tourists.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed conceptual model of seven hypotheses based on validated survey data gathered from 432 international tourists in Elmina, Ghana.

Findings

Empirical results revealed that food services, transportation, tour guide performance and community interactions had positive effects, whereas accommodation had a negative effect on ITS. However, tourist satisfaction had a positive effect on BIs.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are limited to this sample and cannot be projected to other destinations. Future studies can examine other tour services like tourism information centres and retail travel agents in Elmina.

Practical implications

International tourists’ stay in Elmina could be improved by providing competitive, insightful and memorable tours. Management of Elmina should constantly investigate the quality of tour services available to meet emerging needs of tourists.

Originality/value

To date, research into tour services, satisfaction and intentions of international tourists within city tourism as a foundation for future tourism development in Ghana has been overlooked. The findings provide an improved understanding of tour services, which will help Elmina’s tourism management to design and offer innovative and quality tour services to tourists.

Citation

Preko, A.K. (2020), "The impact of tour services on international tourist satisfaction in Elmina, Ghana", International Journal of Tourism Cities, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 1129-1147. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-12-2018-0103