Service Quality,Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention Among Forest Visitors

Abstract

This study explores the interrelationships between service quality and satisfaction, and their influence on behavioral intention among forest visitors. On-site surveys were conducted in a forest through face-to-face interviews (n = 395). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that service quality is an antecedent of satisfaction and satisfaction plays a mediating role between service quality and behavioral intention. Further, service quality has a direct effect on behavioral loyalty, implying that the effect of service quality on behavioral intention is as important as that of satisfaction. The results of the study provide important theoretical implications to nature-based tourism managers.     

The Role of Service Quality,Perceived Value,and Relationship Quality in Enhancing Customer Loyalty in the Travel Agency Sector

Relationship quality is crucial to enhancing a tourist’s loyalty. Little empirical research has been conducted to link service quality, perceived value, and relationship quality to customer loyalty in the travel agency sector. This study attempts to investigate the role of service quality, perceived value, and relationship quality on customer loyalty among tourists. Relationship quality consists of three components: customer satisfaction, customer trust, and customer commitment. Structural equation modeling is used to test the linkages between the six variables that have been identified. Findings reveal that service quality and perceived value of a travel package are antecedent factors to the relationship quality with a travel agency; three components of relationship quality significantly influence a customer’s loyalty to a travel agency.     

Tourism image, evaluation variables and after purchase behaviour: inter-relationship

Numerous authors have pointed out the influence of tourism image on consumer behaviour. Tourism image will also exercise some influence on the quality perceived by tourists and on the satisfaction obtained from the holiday experience. This paper focuses on the relationship between the image of a destination as perceived by tourists and their behavioural intentions, and between that same image and the post-purchase evaluation of the stay. We will also examine the relationship between quality and satisfaction and between these variables and the tourist's behaviour variables. We place the accent on a joint analysis of these relationships, using a structural equation model. The results of the empirical study show that tourism image is a direct antecedent of perceived quality, satisfaction, intention to return and willingness to recommend the destination. The role of image as a key factor in destination marketing is thus confirmed. With reference to the other relationships, on the one hand, it is confirmed that quality has a positive influence on satisfaction and intention to return and that satisfaction determines the willingness to recommend the destination. However, the influence of quality on ‘willingness to recommend’ and the influence of satisfaction on ‘intention to return’ cannot be corroborated. In this sense, further research could be necessary.     

The effect of historical nostalgia on tourists’ destination loyalty intention: an empirical study of the world cultural heritage site – Mahabalipuram,India

Many studies on destination loyalty intention of the heritage tourists have failed to examine the influence of historical nostalgia. This paper examines the effect of historical nostalgia generated during the trip to a cultural heritage site on destination loyalty intention of the heritage tourists through perceived value and satisfaction. A survey was conducted at one of the world cultural heritage sites – Mahabalipuram, India. A conceptual model was developed and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling technique. The results revealed that the historical nostalgia had a significant positive effect on the perceived value, satisfaction and tourists’ destination loyalty intention. The paper contributes to the tourism studies by revealing the antecedent role of historical nostalgia and suggests tourism managers to use historical monuments and structures to evoke historical nostalgia in order to attract heritage tourists.     

Corporate reputation,satisfaction, delight,and loyalty towards rural lodging units in Portugal

This paper enriches the model of delight and satisfaction that Oliver et al. (1997) propose and Finn (2005) modifies, with a suggested causal relationship between disconfirmation and arousal and the introduction of two new variables: the lodging unit's corporate reputation and perceived quality. The modified model is applied to rural tourism accommodations in Portugal and validated using PLS (Partial Least Squares). The results suggest that the lodging unit's reputation is a more significant determinant of loyalty than satisfaction or even delight. This study further supports the conceptualization of customer delight and customer satisfaction as distinct constructs. Results may help managers of rural tourism accommodations to develop and implement more successful relationship marketing strategies.     

Relationships Among Perceived Value,Satisfaction, and Loyalty: Community-Based Ecotourism in Korea

Community-based ecotourism (CBE) is a significant segment of the rapidly growing tourism industry in Korea. This study examines the relationships among perceived value, satisfaction, and destination loyalty of CBE tourists in Korea. Data were collected from 254 visitors (aged 20 years and over) of six CBE villages. The Linear Structural Relationships (LISREL) statistical package was used for the analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis identified four dimensions of perceived value from 14 variables: economic, functional, emotional, and social. Through structural equation modeling (SEM), functional, social, and emotional value was found to have positive effects on overall value. Further, overall value and tourist satisfaction were a significant antecedent of destination loyalty. The empirical results indicate that a varied experiential program must be developed to increase the efficiency of CBE as a sustainable development tool.     

Online Group-Buying of Tourism Products: Effects of Value and Trust on Site Attachment,Altruism, and Loyalty

Although online group-buying is increasing rapidly, little theoretically based research has been conducted on behaviors of online group-buyers of tourism products. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop and test a theoretical model examining the relationships among value, trust, site attachment, altruism, and loyalty in the context of online group-buying of tourism products. The results indicate that the six hypothesized relationships among value, trust, site attachment, altruism, and loyalty are significant and thus validate the theoretical model. The findings of this study provide theoretical and practical implications for academics and managers of online group-buying sites.     

CSR and customer loyalty: The roles of trust,customer identification with the company and satisfaction

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a crucial construct in hospitality companies. One of the main reasons is due to the idea that CSR influence consumer loyalty. This paper presents a model of influence of CSR on hotel customer loyalty by simultaneously including trust, customer identification with the company and satisfaction as mediators by showing the direct and indirect effects among these constructs. In the proposed model, loyalty is indirectly affected by perceived CSR, via the mediation of trust, identification and satisfaction. Empirical testing using a survey of Spanish hotel consumers confirms most of our hypothesized effects except the effect of customer trust on customer identification with the company. Finally, managerial implications and limitations of our findings are discussed.     

The impact of green practices in coastal tourism: An empirical investigation on an eco-labelled beach club

The environmental impact of marine and coastal tourism is gaining the attention of firms, scholars and institutions. Coastal tourism facilities play a crucial role in the sustainable management of coastal tourism areas in Mediterranean countries. One way by which tourism facilities can preserve these resources is to adopt on a voluntary basis the ecolabels, which ensure compliance with specific environmental performance criteria. The research presents the results of a survey addressed to the guests of an ecolabel-awarded Italian Beach Club. In order to reduce a research gap in the context of coastal tourism, the aim is to evaluate how guests perceive the green practices implemented by the Beach Club and to test if they significantly influence guests’ satisfaction and loyalty. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was employed to test a series of research hypotheses. Findings show that (a) guest environmental concern positively influences guest attitude toward green practices and guests’ evaluation of green practices; (b) guest environmental concern isn’t a significant antecedent of guest satisfaction; (c) guest attitude toward green practices positively influences the evaluation of green practices; (d) guest attitude towards green practices doesn’t influence guest satisfaction and loyalty; (e) the performance of Beach Club green practices positively influences guest satisfaction and loyalty toward the Beach Club; (f) customer satisfaction is a significant antecedent of guest loyalty. Research findings are relevant for practitioners, as beach club green practices are positively recognized by guests that consider them as part of the service quality, showing that environmental commitment plays a significant role in generating added value for coastal tourism.     

Service Fairness,Consumption Emotions,Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intentions: The Experience of Chinese Heritage Tourists

Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory and the justice theory from the marketing and tourism literature, this study attempts to illuminate the embedded impact of tourist experience on overall satisfaction and behavioral intentions in a cognitive-affective-behavioral framework. The findings suggest that service fairness is an antecedent of consumption emotions (positive and negative) that, in turn, influence satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the context of Chinese natural heritage tourism. Notably, the results highlight the mediating role of tourists’ consumption emotions. This article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications to heritage tourism researchers and managers.     

旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响研究

在旅游市场竞争日趋激烈的背景下,由旅游企业经营所引发的社会责任问题受到广泛关注,但学界关于旅游企业社会责任的影响研究还不够系统和深入.文章将旅游企业社会责任划分为6个方面,将目的地形象划分为认知形象和情感形象两个方面,并构建了旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响模型.实证研究表明,旅游企业社会责任在目的地形象及游客忠诚形成中发挥非常重要的作用,其中,经济责任、环境责任、游客责任、员工责任和法律责任对认知形象有正向影响,游客责任、员工责任和慈善责任对情感形象有正向影响；认知形象和情感形象不仅对游客忠诚产生直接影响,而且通过游客满意对游客忠诚产生间接作用.相比认知形象,情感形象对游客满意和忠诚的影响作用更大.     

旅游目的地品牌资产驱动因素模型研究——以凤凰古城为例

旅游目的地品牌资产逐渐成为学界关注的焦点,值得深入研究。该文基于已有研究成果,分析旅游目的地品牌资产与品牌知名度、品牌形象、品牌质量、品牌价值、品牌忠诚的结构关系,构建旅游目的地品牌资产驱动因素结构模型。以湖南省凤凰古城为案例,采用问卷调查法获得基础数据,分析发现:旅游目的地品牌知名度、品牌形象、品牌质量通过旅游目的地品牌价值与品牌忠诚对旅游目的地品牌资产产生显著影响,证实了旅游目的地品牌资产的二阶驱动因素模型。具体来看,旅游目的地品牌形象对品牌忠诚的影响最大,而旅游目的地品牌忠诚和品牌资产关联度最大。根据研究结论得到管理启示:第一,全面认识旅游目的地品牌资产的驱动因素,综合递增旅游目的地品牌资产。第二,着力突出旅游目的地品牌资产的核心要素,注重提升旅游目的地品牌形象。第三,认真建设旅游目的地品牌资产的关键内容,致力强化旅游目的地品牌忠诚。     

An examination of the effects of motivation on visitors' loyalty: case study of the Golestan Palace,Tehran

This study investigates a causal relationship between three motivational dimensions, three evaluative constructs (perceived value, experience quality and satisfaction) and destination loyalty. A total of 389 respondents completed a survey conducted at a main World Heritage Site - Golestan Palace- in Tehran. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, the results show that the effect of motivation on loyalty occurs by its certain dimension(s), through mediating evaluative variables. That is, the quality of experience has a direct effect on perceived value and perceived value has a direct effect on satisfaction and an indirect effect on loyalty. Satisfaction also has a direct effect on loyalty. The findings are expected to help heritage managers understand heritage visitors and adopt effective marketing strategies for target segments.     

International volunteer tourism and youth travelers – an emerging tourism trend

This study attempted to examine the intricate associations among volunteer tourism (VT) motivations, overall image, satisfaction, trust, and the influence of these relationships on behavioral intentions among youth travelers. Our findings from the structural analysis indicated that VT motivations significantly contributed to building positive images, inducing satisfactory VT experiences, and building trust with a VT organization. Our results also demonstrated the competence of the higher-order structure of VT motivations in explicating the intention formation. In addition, the overall image, satisfaction, and trust played an important mediating role. Moreover, satisfaction with VT experiences was of utmost significance in determining intentions.     

A Study of Experiential Quality,Equity, Happiness,Rural Image,Experiential Satisfaction,and Behavioral Intentions for the Rural Tourism Industry in China

This study aims at examining the interrelationships among experiential quality, equity, happiness, rural image, experiential satisfaction, and behavioral intentions for the rural tourism industry in China. The data used in this study were based on a sample of 694 rural tourists staying in Sansheng Flower Town of Chengdu, indicating that the proposed model fits the data. The result of this study will assist rural tourism management in developing and implementing market-orientated service strategies to increase experiential quality and equity, and enhance the image and experiential satisfaction of rural tourists in order to generate favorable intentions to return or revisit the same rural village.     

Building customer satisfaction with tour leaders: the roles of customer trust,justice perception,and cooperation in group package tours

This research developed a theoretical model to explain the relationship between customer trust, justice perception, cooperation, and satisfaction in the tourism context. Survey data were collected from 309 customers of outbound group package tours in Taiwan. Empirical results indicated that both customer trust and justice perception have direct and positive influences on customer satisfaction. Compared with justice perception, customer trust has a more crucial role in the tour leader–customer satisfaction relationship. Furthermore, customer cooperation partially mediates the effects of customer trust and justice perception on customer satisfaction. Therefore, cooperation is the mechanism that explains how customer trust and justice perception are associated with satisfaction. These results demonstrate the importance of customer cooperation and imply that travel managers should strengthen customer trust and justice perception to enhance customers’ cooperative behaviors and strengthen their satisfaction.     

旅游电子商务成熟度对在线旅游预订意向的影响——以携程旅行网为例

旅游服务商为了抢夺市场份额,纷纷投资进行技术改造和产品扩张,促进旅游电子商务不断走向成熟。近年来,IT管理的成熟度理论开始应用于旅游电子商务领域,旅游在线预订及其影响因素研究也日渐增长。但是在学术界,旅游电子商务成熟度对在线旅游预订意向的影响研究却十分少见。文章以携程旅行网为例,基于文献研究提出相关概念模型,运用探索性因子分析及结构方程模型,探讨旅游电子商务成熟度对在线旅游预订意向的影响机制。确认旅游电子商务成熟度的4个维度均正向影响顾客信任,但交易机制对顾客信任的效用最大,其次是信息质量;4个维度中,顾客为中心、服务响应正向影响顾客的积极态度,以服务响应对积极态度的效用最大;旅游电子商务成熟度的4个维度通过顾客信任和积极态度这两个中介变量影响在线旅游预订意向,且顾客信任和积极态度是完全中介效用,统计意义上,顾客信任对积极态度没有显著影响。     

Impact of Restaurant Experience on Brand Image and Customer Loyalty: Moderating Role of Dining Motivation

This study seeks to determine which restaurant experiences influence the image of a restaurant's brand and formation of customers' loyalty. The research examines the connections among restaurant experiences, brand image, satisfaction, and loyalty in the context of full-service restaurants. This study also investigates the moderating effect of customers' dining motivations on the formation of brand image. The results of this study suggest that: (a) A restaurant's environment and food quality positively influences brand image and customers' satisfaction, (b) customers' perceptions of price fairness do not influence brand image but does affect customers' satisfaction, (c) development of customers' positive brand image does not drive satisfaction but does influence loyalty in full-service restaurants, and (d) customers' dining motivations moderate the relationship between restaurant experiences and perceptions of brand image. These results provide a basis for investigating which restaurant experiences are critical in eliciting development of a positive brand image and which have behavioral consequences. This study also offers mangers a perspective for developing marketing strategies to strengthen brand image in full-service restaurants.     

Natural soundscapes and tourist loyalty to nature-based tourism destinations: the mediating effect of tourist satisfaction

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of natural soundscapes on tourist behaviors in a nature-based tourism destination. A behavioral model depicting the relationship among tourist attitudes to natural soundscapes, natural soundscape image, tourist satisfaction, and loyalty is examined using structural equation model and bootstrapping analysis. Results indicate that tourist attitudes directly affect natural soundscape image but do not affect tourist satisfaction and loyalty. The natural soundscape image directly affects tourist satisfaction and indirectly affects tourist loyalty when mediated by tourist satisfaction. Positioning natural soundscapes as a novel tourism attractor, theoretical and managerial implications are presented.     

The Influence of a Hotel Firm's Quality of Service and Image and its Effect on Tourism Customer Loyalty

The aim of this article is to understand the influence of hotel service quality and corporate image on tourism customer loyalty. Data were collected from tourists at several sight-seeing locations in Mauritius. The study sample comprised guests of various hotels in Mauritius who were randomly approached and invited to participate in a survey on the hotel's services. The study findings suggest that it is the quality of service and the corporate image of the hotel that jointly influence tourism customers' loyalty. Although the study findings do not indicate a direct relationship between service quality and loyalty, it is the consistent quality of service that creates and sustains the image of the hotel which, ultimately, results in tourism customer loyalty. This would therefore suggest that tourism customer loyalty is dependent on a hotel's ability to consistently deliver service quality.