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1 – 10 of over 6000Travelling is no longer associated with the word “travail” (labour) and there is a profusion of available information on all dimensions of any kind of trip, such that…
Abstract
Travelling is no longer associated with the word “travail” (labour) and there is a profusion of available information on all dimensions of any kind of trip, such that there is little room for uncertainty (Leiper, 1983). Yet we are accustomed to hearing complaints from tourists who are unsatisfied with their tourist experience. Sources of unsatisfaction are numerous (Von Raaij and Francken, 1984; Mazursky, 1989). They can include supply factors: accommodation, transportation, food, prices, (external factors) as well as personal factors (internal attribution). Von Raaij and Francken (1984) postulated that vacationers who attribute their dissatisfaction to external factors are more dissatisfied than vacationers who attribute their dissatisfaction to themselves. However, in general, measures of satisfaction have received less than expected attention by scholars due to its linkage with “motivation”: “As expected, there was considerable similarity between motivation and satisfaction dimensions” (Ross and Iso‐Ahola, 1991). Moreover, satisfaction is often related to a particular tourist experience (discrete events) and not necessarily to the broader case of the pleasure vacation (Geva and Goldman, 1991; Mazursky, 1989). Thus, there is a need to identify factors which account for variations in the level of tourist satisfaction without specific reference to a particular tourist site. Traditionally tourist satisfaction was basically explained by the following general model:
Attributes of a destination do not only have a positive impact on a person’s selection of the travel destination but also influence the level of tourist satisfaction. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Attributes of a destination do not only have a positive impact on a person’s selection of the travel destination but also influence the level of tourist satisfaction. In spite of this, the destination attributes related to Muslim tourism are yet to be explored. Moreover, each attribute impacts the satisfaction of tourists in different ways. This study aims to investigate the importance and performance of Islamic attributes in selection of travel destinations by Muslim tourists and to examine the overall tourist satisfaction (SAT) based on the Islamic attributes.
Design/methodology/approach
Thailand has been considered as the base for this study. A quantitative research method and convenience sampling technique was used for data collection. Factor analysis was used to determine the importance and performance of Islamic attributes on the choice of travel destinations. Composite delineated factors were applied as indicators in the regression analysis to evaluate the SAT.
Findings
The findings reveal five important Islamic attributes: Halal-friendly environment, Halal hotel (IMP2), Halal food (IMP3), Halal food preparation and washroom facilities. However, Muslim tourists were only satisfied with the performance of three Islamic attributes: hotel entertainment and facilities, Halal food and preparation and Halal-oriented recreation and quality services (PER3). This study also reveals that PER3 as well as IMP2 and IMP3 are significant factors for evaluating the tourists’ overall satisfaction.
Originality/value
The Halal tourism market has been growing rapidly. However, research on the satisfaction of Muslim tourists based on the importance and performance of Islamic attributes in non-Muslim countries is limited. Thus, the researcher draws upon the views of Muslim tourists to propose recommendations on the important Islamic attributes and those whose performances are effective. The findings suggest that the SAT is influenced by particular attributes. Additionally, this study fills the research gap on Halal tourism in Thailand and provides useful information regarding the satisfaction of tourists based on Islamic attributes for non-Muslim countries, to help them formulate effective strategies for developing Islamic tourism in their travel destinations.
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Yilmaz Akgunduz and Seckin Eser
This empirical study explored how tourist incivility, job stress and job satisfaction affect tourist guides' vocational commitment.
Abstract
Purpose
This empirical study explored how tourist incivility, job stress and job satisfaction affect tourist guides' vocational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via a questionnaire on a convenience sample of tourist guides during February–March 2018. A total of 172 valid questionnaires were collected, of which 100 were online and 72 face-to-face. The hypotheses were tested through multiple regression analyses.
Findings
The results show that job stress reduces both the affective and normative commitment of tourist guides whereas tourist incivility only reduces their normative commitment. The results also show that job satisfaction increases their affective commitment.
Practical implications
The results show that vocational commitment of tourist guides can be strengthened when job stresses are reduced, they are faced with less incivil behaviors and job satisfaction increases. Tour operators and travel agency managers can implement managerial practices that will reduce the job stress of tourist guides and increase job satisfaction. At the same time, it can be ensured that tourist guides develop a positive attitude toward their profession by supporting the legalization and implementation of regulations that protect from incivil tourist behavior.
Originality/value
Although both job stress and job satisfaction have received past research attention, no research has studied them in an integrated form with tourist incivility and vocational commitments of tourist guides. In this study, it is predicted that tourist incivility and job stress both affect the job satisfaction and vocational commitment of tourist guides. Conducting such a study of tourist guiding is important because the literature survey reveals that only very limited research has been done into the work of this profession.
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Chhanda Biswas, Santus Kumar Deb, Abdulla Al-Towfiq Hasan and Md. Shariful Alam Khandakar
The study aims to examine the relationship between destination attributes and tourist satisfaction as well as the extent to which emotional involvement mediates between…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine the relationship between destination attributes and tourist satisfaction as well as the extent to which emotional involvement mediates between destination attributes and tourist satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a sample of 600 domestic tourists by using a purposive sampling technique where 382 samples were useable, and the response rate was 63.67%. The structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3.0.) was used to test the hypothesized relationship among variables.
Findings
Among the 16 hypothesized paths, 13 were supported. Destination attributes (accommodation, attraction, food and beverages and transportation) except safety significantly influence tourist satisfaction; herein accommodation has the greatest effect on tourist satisfaction. Similarly, destination attributes except safety significantly influence tourists’ emotional involvement. This study also reveals that tourists’ emotional involvement partially mediates in the link between destination attributes except for safety and customer satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
The results of the study will assist the hospitality researchers and managers to understand the roles of destination attributes and emotional involvement on tourist satisfaction in the tourism industry.
Originality/value
The study is the first to explore the mediating relationship in the link between destination attributes and tourist satisfaction in the tourism industry.
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Tourism is one of the main income generator for the Singapore’s economy. Since China is the second largest tourist group to Singapore in the past 15 years which is due to…
Abstract
Tourism is one of the main income generator for the Singapore’s economy. Since China is the second largest tourist group to Singapore in the past 15 years which is due to the newly middle class and the appreciation of Chinese Yuan, this study attempts to explore the market potential by understanding Chinese tourist’s repeat visit intention. A sample of 192 Chinese tourists is collected at Singapore Chiang International Airport to study eight selected satisfaction attributes using systematic random sampling techniques. The mean scores indicate that all attributes are above the average. In addition, transportation and environment/safety are tied as the most satisfactory attribute. Further, a logistic regression model identifies which attributes lead the Chinese tourists’ likelihood to revisit Singapore. Three attributes entailing lodging, attraction and environment and safety, are significant. The managerial implications are also discussed.
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This research focuses on Norwegian tourists’ destination satisfaction as influenced by the process of buying behaviour, which further affects tourists’ behavioural…
Abstract
This research focuses on Norwegian tourists’ destination satisfaction as influenced by the process of buying behaviour, which further affects tourists’ behavioural intention by evaluating determinants and consequences of satisfaction. The data have been collected from Norwegian tourists travelling to European destinations. The findings show that the experience of the service/organisation of the journey explained about 50% of the variance in overall tourist satisfaction with the destination. Further, the results reveal that tourists are inclined to be rational while choosing activities that satisfy their inner motives. However, the relationships among tourist motivation, satisfaction, and behavioural intention are not as strong as expected.
Cheng Boon Liat, S.R. Nikhashemi and Michael M. Dent
Having Middle Eastern tourism industry as the context, this study aims to examine the impact of the four main dimensions within service innovation (i.e. product, process…
Abstract
Purpose
Having Middle Eastern tourism industry as the context, this study aims to examine the impact of the four main dimensions within service innovation (i.e. product, process, organizational and marketing innovations) on tourist satisfaction; subsequently, towards the development of destination loyalty. Realized that religiosity prevails as an important social force that shapes individual behaviours, this study, hence, placed further assessment upon its moderating role, specifically in the relationships between tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
With adopting the approach of self-structured questionnaire, 214 usable responses had been collected for this study. Obtained data was then analyzed by conducting exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis through the usage of structural equation modelling.
Findings
Analysis of obtained data has revealed all the investigated dimensions within service innovation as active predictors to tourist satisfaction, with the exception of product innovation, while having marketing innovation being of highest significance. In turn, tourist satisfaction is found to greatly influence the formation of destination loyalty. Findings then provide notable indication on religiosity as a moderating factor to the proposed relationships within the investigated framework, between service innovation and tourist satisfaction, as well as tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty.
Originality/value
This study, thus, revealed the level of religiosity, particularly from the standpoint of Islamic perspectives, in playing a critical role towards predicting capability of service innovation on tourist satisfaction, and further, destination loyalty. Contributions hereby lie on theoretical and pragmatic insights concerning aspects of service and Islamic marketing within today’s tourism front.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of tourists' emotional responses toward a particular destination on tourists' satisfaction and destination loyalty…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of tourists' emotional responses toward a particular destination on tourists' satisfaction and destination loyalty. Perceived quality adds as a moderator variable.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a quantitative data collection method, with distributing the questionnaire to 346 tourists of 43 nationalities in four main tourist attractions in Switzerland. The structural equation modeling approach and bootstrapping technique were used to empirically test the study hypotheses.
Findings
The results confirm the negative impact of negative emotions. The mediating role of the tourists' satisfaction was documented. As expected, perceived quality dampened the negative effect of negative emotions on tourists' satisfaction. However, surprisingly, it does not serve as a moderator in the relationship between positive emotions and tourists' satisfaction.
Practical implications
This study resulted in a set of practical marketing recommendations. Tourism marketers are encouraged to keep positive emotions high among tourists, aimed to increase their satisfaction toward the destination and revisit it again in the future and also, pay more attention to the quality of the destination as an essential tool to reduce the impact of negative emotions.
Originality/value
Many studies in tourism literature studied associations between positive emotions and tourists' behavior. The present study is drawing more attention to negative emotions. In addition, this study tries to address the gap in the tourism literature regarding the modified impact of perceived quality on the relationship between emotions and tourists' satisfaction.
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Ririn Tri Ratnasari, Sri Gunawan, Imron Mawardi and Kusuma Chandra Kirana
The purpose of this paper is to examine halal certification for halal culinary, destination brand and emotional experiences on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine halal certification for halal culinary, destination brand and emotional experiences on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a quantitative survey approach to 400 respondents consisting of Muslim foreign and domestic tourists who had visited Lombok in the past three years. The sampling technique is by purposive sampling. The analysis technique used in this study is structural equation modeling-partial least square (SEM-PLS).
Findings
The findings showed that halal certification has no effect on customer satisfaction but on influenced behavioral intention, destination brand of Lombok had no effect on customer satisfaction; customer satisfaction influenced behavioral intention and emotional experiences affected customer satisfaction and behavioral intention.
Research limitations/implications
This study collects data from respondents both domestic and foreign tourists simultaneously. However, the data acquisition of respondents and foreign tourists is not balanced. Thus, this study analyzes tourists in general, not distinguished between foreign and domestic tourists.
Practical implications
The government and tourism organizers in Lombok need to provide socialization for domestic and foreign tourists on the need to choose halal-certified food and drinks to ensure halal and hygiene. In addition, so that the destination image of Lombok can provide a beautiful experience that becomes a moment of the truth, then the local government should improve its service strategy holistically.
Social implications
Destination image needs to be improved. This requires holistic tourism quality services so that the social community knows that Indonesia has a halal tourism destination that exists as tourists come from the airport to the hotel and enjoy food in restaurants and tourist attractions that are Muslim friendly.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to filling the void in the literature related to tourism management that is linked to tourism in the aftermath of natural disasters, where empirical studies on halal tourism are on the rise. Therefore, respondents in the study were specific, that is, those who had traveled. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of a kind that includes behavioral intention in tourist destinations after natural disasters in the Indonesian context.
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Abror Abror, Dina Patrisia, Okki Trinanda, Maznah Wan Omar and Yunia Wardi
This paper aims to examine the impact of religiosity on Muslim-friendly destination performance, customer engagement and customer satisfaction; the mediating impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the impact of religiosity on Muslim-friendly destination performance, customer engagement and customer satisfaction; the mediating impact of Muslim-friendly destination performance, customer engagement and customer satisfaction on the link between religiosity and word of mouth (WOM); and the moderating impact of religiosity on the relationship between Muslim-friendly tourism, customer engagement and customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The population of this study was all tourists who visited West Sumatra Indonesia. By using a survey through questionnaires, this study has got 393 out of 450 collected responses (83.6%). This research used the structural equation modeling as the data analysis technique.
Findings
This research found that religiosity is a significant antecedent of Muslim-friendly tourism, customer engagement and tourist satisfaction. This study revealed that Muslim-friendly tourism, customer engagement and tourist satisfaction significantly mediate the link between religiosity and WOM. This research also found that religiosity significantly moderates the effect of Muslim-friendly tourism on tourist satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
This study was only conducted in Indonesia; hence, it lacks generality. Accordingly, future studies can expand to several other countries such as Southeast Asian countries which have big Muslim population. This study only focused on Muslim-friendly tourism industry as a whole. For future studies, it can be extended to several related industries, such as hotel, food and beverage and halal cosmetic.
Practical implications
This study has shown the important of manager knowledge about religiosity of customers. Accordingly, when they want to increase tourists’ WOM, they have to increase tourist perceived quality of Muslim-friendly tourism attributes which also have an impact on customer engagement and tourist satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study proposes the direct relationship between religiosity and Muslim-friendly tourism, the religiosity-customer engagement link and the religiosity-tourist satisfaction relation. This research has revealed the mediating effect of Muslim-friendly tourism, satisfaction and engagement on the link between religiosity and WOM. This study has also revealed the impact of religiosity in strengthening the link between halal tourism and tourist satisfaction which is limited previously.
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