Satisfaction of International Tourists with Departure Services at Kilimanjaro International Airport: A Study in Tanzania

Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between airport departure non-processing service performance and international tourists' satisfaction at Kilimanjaro International Airport. A survey research design and quantitative approaches with stratified sampling and a 162 sample size were adopted. Data collection was done through closed-ended questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to tourists and picked after being filled up. Respondents’ responses were based on a five-point Likert Scale. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS statistics version 21 and Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modelling using SmartPLS 3 software with the help of SmartPLS3 software. The study showed that airport departure facilities were directly and significantly associated with international tourists' satisfaction. This implies that the relationship exists in real life, and any effort to disregard the assessment of these facilities may disturb tourists' satisfaction and lead to untrustworthiness. Moreover, airport departure accessibility and departure retail areas showed an insignificant association with international tourists' satisfaction, implying that no relationship exists in real life. The study recommends that indicators for the constructs with direct relationships be treated as significant factors. However, airport operators should equally monitor service performance to achieve the highest tourist’ satisfaction in all three constructs to make tourists loyal since any service compromise can interrupt tourists' satisfaction. The findings have economic significance in improving tourism performance and airport service management.