Tourist satisfaction: an analysis of its antecedents

Abstract

Trying to understand what comprises tourist satisfaction is one of the most relevant areas of research for the sector (Petrick 2003; Prebensen, 2006), as satisfied tourists tend to transmit their positive experience to third persons as well as repeating their visit (Hallowell 1996; Kozak & Rimmington 2000; Pizam 1994; Alén, Rodríguez & Fraiz, 2007; Operman, 2000). The aim of this study is to offer an integrating vision of the relationships that exist between the antecedents of tourist satisfaction, their motivation, and the activities holiday-makers carry out at their destination, with the hope that these results will aid tourist managers in their task of creating competitive offers. The results obtained in this study provide sufficient empirical evidence to accept the relationship that exists between tourist motivation, the activities they perform at their destination, and their overall level of satisfaction.