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

Abstract

Tourist animation is a combination of services and content aimed at improving the overall experience of the tourist service. The purpose of animation activities is to provide the guest with more than anticipated, to outperform guests’ expectations. The importance and significance of the added value that is provided to guests is increasingly emphasized. This paper was designed to overcome the deficit of research conducted in the field of tourist animation, especially the part related to the influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty. The main purpose of this research was to identify the factors of guest satisfaction that are positively related to the loyalty of guests in the hotel industry in the Republic of Croatia, through a review of the literature and the theory of guest satisfaction. Therefore, an empirical study was conducted in order to examine the impact of animation program offerings on guest satisfaction and loyalty from a manager’s perspective using a qualitative study. From the collected and analyzed data, it is possible to presume that the quality of animation programs, animators, and communication with the guest has a positive effect on guest satisfaction. Also, it has been found that the offer of animation programs affects the return and loyalty of guests. Based on the results obtained at the end of the paper, guidelines for further development in this area are proposed. The contribution of this paper is reflected in the acquisition of new knowledge regarding the impact of animation programs on guest satisfaction and loyalty, with an emphasis on the comprehensiveness of animation programs.