Determinants of Satisfaction with Holidays and Hospitality in Rural Tourism in Spain

Abstract

An analysis of travelers’ satisfaction with a holiday trip to Spain’s Andalusia region found a distinct difference in the information sources used by first-time visitors and repeat visitors. In addition to determining the travelers’ satisfaction with the trip itself, this study also assessed the travelers’ satisfaction with the travel-related information they received before taking their trip. The framework for the study was a rural tourist trip, a little studied area. Repeat visitors relied primarily on their own experience in terms of expectations for their trips, and any external information sources they consulted had no effect on their satisfaction with the trip. Of the several external sources consulted by the first-time visitors, only mass-media advertising was associated with favorable satisfaction results for the first-timers. Other sources, including word of mouth, the internet, and noncommercial media placements (such as news stories), were associated with negative effects on satisfaction, perhaps because these sources created unrealistic expectations. Destination promotions attracted both new and returning visitors, but again the two groups had different views on which types of promotion were most effective. First-time travelers responded primarily to price discounts in some form, whereas repeat travelers were more inclined toward such nonprice promotions as gifts and prize drawings. For hospitality and tourism officials, the findings focus on the need to ensure that information sources are accurate and create appropriate expectations for first-time travelers. This may require more activity in social media, since internet sources apparently created incorrect expectations or simply offered the first-time travelers so much information that they felt overloaded.

Self‐congruity and motivations as antecedents of destination perceived value: The moderating effect of previous experience

“…In line with the approach taken in previous studies, such as those by Frías‐Jamilena et al () and Polo‐Peña et al (2013), the tourist's previous destination experience was measured on a scale with two mutually exclusive categories: first‐time visitor and repeat visitor to Spain. The final sample comprised 308 first‐timers (61.23%) and 195 repeat visitors (38.77%).…”

“…As a tourist's evaluation of a destination he or she has visited may change depending on a number of circumstances (Pandža, ), it is helpful to understand how a tourist's previous experience of that destination may lead to different evaluations in terms of perceptions of its value. Some works in the literature point to the existence of a moderating effect of experience on the variables associated with destinations (e.g., Fallon & Schofield, ; Frías‐Jamilena, Del Barrio‐García, & López‐Moreno, ; Lau & McKercher, ; Li et al, ; McKercher & Wong, ; Morais & Lin, ; Polo‐Peña, Frías‐Jamilena, & Rodríguez‐Molina, 2013) and, more specifically, on perceived value (Petrick, ). However, none of these aforementioned works identifies the moderating effect of previous experience in terms of the effect of the tourist's personal characteristics on his or her evaluation of a destination.…”

“…destination may lead to different evaluations in terms of perceptions of its value. Some works in the literature point to the existence of a moderating effect of experience on the variables associated with destinations (e.g.,Fallon & Schofield, 2004;Frías- Jamilena, Del Barrio-García, & López-Moreno, 2013;Lau & McKercher, 2004;Li et al, 2008;McKercher & Wong, 2004;Morais & Lin, 2010;Polo-Peña, Frías-Jamilena, & Rodríguez-Molina, 2013…”

More value for more satisfaction? The moderating role of the consumer’s accumulation of experience

“…This choice is all the more justified because of the absence of a consensual view of the nature of its moderating power. For one group of studies adopting a holistic approach, the increase in the accumulation of experience may, depending on the results, variously strengthen, diminish or not affect the effects of value (Frías-Jamilena et al, 2013;Hsu et al, 2015;Johnson et al, 2006;Karjaluoto et al, 2012). For other authors favoring a more analytical approach, disagreement tends to be more about the respective contributions of value sources in shaping satisfaction as customer experience accumulates (Deng et al, 2010;Ha and Jang, 2010;Mencarelli and Lombart, 2017;Overby and Lee, 2006;Polo Peña et al, 2013).…”

The Development of Quality Standards for Rural Farm Accommodations: A Case Study in South Korea

“…Therefore, natural infrastructure that provides agritourism activities to bring the public into contact with farming nature and its surroundings is important in choosing farm destinations and attractions. However, generation of income through current and potential visitors also depends on how agritourism operations provide the quality service because providing excellent service is prerequisite for their successful business (Albácete-Sáez, Fuentes-Fuentes, & Lloréns-Montes, 2007; Frías-Jamilena, Barrio-García, & Moreno, 2013; Reichel, Lowengart, & Milman, 2000). The potential benefits of service quality can include increased customer satisfaction, improved customer retention, a positive word-of-mouth, decreased operating costs, enlarged market share, increased profitability, and improved financial performance (Cronin, Brady, & Hult, 2000; Lee, Petrick, & Crompton, 2007; Oh, Kim, & Shin, 2004; Rust & Oliver, 1994; Yoo & Park, 2007).…”