Background: Academic literature has documented the benefits of technology for the tourism business. However, the influence of the fourth industrial revolution environment on the destination reputation, pre-visit experience, visit intentions and how these affect tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty intentions have not received much attention, especially within the African context.Aim: The purpose of this study was to empirically test the effect of this environment on all these variables.Setting: This study is one of the few empirical types of research conducted in an urban tourism destination centre in a South African context.Methods: The study employed a positivist quantitative research methodology. Primary data (N = 235) were collected from tourists who visited the Vilakazi Street precinct during October–November 2019, using the convenient probability sampling approach. For analysis, the study employed structural equation modelling.Results: There are positive relationships between the fourth industrial revolution environment and the online reputation and the pre-visit experience. These, in turn, have a positive effect on the intention to visit the precinct, which affects the tourists’ feelings of satisfaction after actually visiting the centre. Satisfaction has a positive impact on their loyalty intentions.Conclusion: The findings create a space for future research by providing another framework for investigating the usefulness of new technology in the tourism industry, which can also extend to other industries. For managers, the findings can help in the creation of online advertisement strategies, online reputation management and online pre-visit experience enhancement.
Loyalty programmes are widely used in many industries, including the fuel industry in South Africa. The relationship between loyalty programmes, customers' value and satisfaction perceptions, and customers' ultimate behavioural intentions within the fuel industry have not received much academic attention. This study undertook to research South African students' perceptions of: the value of rewards for loyalty membership, how their perceptions affect their satisfaction with the fuel brand, how their satisfaction affect their loyalty to the fuel brand, and how their perceptions and loyalty impact their intention to continue buying from the same brand. Study participants were selected by using convenience sampling method. About 316 senior students from a South African university in Gauteng participated in the study. The study used a quantitative methodology approach, and adopted Structural Equation Modelling for data analysis. The SPSS 25 and AMOS 25 statistical packages were used for data analysis. The outcome of the study showed that customers' perceptions of the rewards offered by loyalty programmes have direct positive effects on customer satisfaction, which positively influence their loyalty to the fuel brand. In addition, their perceptions also have a direct effect on their loyalty to the brand. Their loyalty to the brand ultimately positively influences their intention to repurchase from the same brand. Building from the underpinning theories (Social exchange theory and Equity theory), the study proposes a theoretical model whose usefulness is highlighted under managerial and academic implications subsection of the study. Key phrases Customer loyalty; loyalty programmes; perceived value and repeat purchase intention FM MGIBA K MADELA South African fuel industry, Customer perceptions and satisfaction, and their impact on customer loyalty and repurchase intention
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