The Influence of Animation Programmes on Tourists’ Satisfaction: The Role of Animators

Abstract

Animation programmes represent a specific range of services and facilities that complement and improve the overall range of tourism service. Animation activities provide a wide range of services that are intended to provide more than expected for tourists. Therefore, to respond to tourists' various requests and needs, the role of animators in animation programmes is essential. In other words, tourists' satisfaction could be achieved via the tourist animators' competences, since they are intended to make the stay at the tourist destinations as pleasant as possible. However, it is necessary to note that there is a large gap in the literature concerning the importance of animation programmes and animators for tourism services. To overcome this deficit in the literature, this paper analyses the influence of different animator competences on the tourists' satisfaction to determine their importance for the tourist services. Using the Tobit model on a sample of 30 tourists, the results show that the relation between tourists' satisfaction and animator competences associated with patience, qualification, and organization, is positive and statistically significant. Based on the obtained results, we have suggested mechanisms for further development in this field, focusing on the constant improvement of the animator competences and animation programmes.

The Influence of the Offer of Animation Programs on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

“…Cleas (2007, p. 45) points out that only satisfied consumers represent real, intangible, economic assets. According to the previous studies, the animation program offer has impact on the satisfaction of the guest (Markus et al, 2019;Peković et al, 2019;Perović et al, 2018;Albayrak, Caber i Öz, 2016;Cetin i Walls, 2015;Demir i Demir, 2015;Laškarin, 2015;Ababneh, 2013;Korkutata i Yılmaz, 2013;AbuKhalifeh i Mat Som, 2012;Mikulić i Prebežac, 2011;Türkay, Camarda i Badau, 2010;Cerović, 2008;Glinia et al, 2001;Glinia et al, 2001a;Jadrešić, 2001;Corbaci, 1993).…”

“…Financial effects are easier to measure because they are determined by monetary units, numbers and other physical indicators while the guest satisfaction and loyalty factors are far more complex and difficult to quantify and requires special measurement methods and techniques. Scientific research in the field of tourist animation that examined the impact of animation programs on customer satisfaction and loyalty (Sabol i Smajić, 2013;Vidović, 2019;Cerović, 2008;Rončević et al, 2019;Mikulić i Prebežac, 2011;Getz, 2005;Glinia et al, 2001;Jadrešić, 2001;Corbaci, 1993;Anderson i Mittal, 2000;Demir i Demir, 2015;Perović et al, 2018;Peković et al, 2019;Antunac, 2001;Olah, 2016) have served as a foundation for the concept of this research.…”

“…Previous research in the scientific literature has mainly focused on the importance of guest satisfaction or loyalty for the success of the animation program, but from a tourist perspective. Numerous researches deal with the influence and importance of animators for success and positive effect on the guest (Peković, S. et al, 2019;Rokicka-Hebel, M., et al, 2016;Jakovlev, Z. et al, 2014;Sabol, V. i Smajić, J., 2013;Mikulić, J. i Prebežac, D., 2010;Ivkov, A. i Stamenković, I., 2008;Tekin, A., 2006). Research in which the influence of satisfaction, guest loyalty and animation programs as a whole that is offered to the guest is interrelated, is present to a much lesser extent.…”

“…The emergence of today's general concept of animation in tourism defines animation as a human activity that has to do with the inner or mental reality of a man (Cerović, 2008, p. 46). A significant number of authors (Peković, S. et at., 2019;Albayrak, T. et al, 2016;Rokicka-Hebel, M. et al, 2016;Türkay, O. et al, 2013;Jakovlev, Z. et al, 2014;Mikulić, M., Prebežac, D., 2011;Cerović, Z., 2008;Garanin, N. I., 2004) define tourist animation as a part of the tourist offer that has the goal to meet the needs and wants of tourists pf the expected tourist experience, and with the aim of achieving tourist expenditure.…”