ABSTRACT
Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance since it constitutes the foundation of successful tourism businesses (Kotler and Armstrong 2010). Studies show that high-quality experiences usually lead to better overall perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and post-consumption behavioural intentions (Zeithaml et al. 1996; Kim 2014). However, in tourism, customer satisfaction is a complex topic; a tourist destination is an amalgam of tourist products, services and public goods consumed under the same brand name, thus offering the consumer an integrated experience (Buhalis 2000; Leiper 1995). Consequently, several attributes of the destination contribute to and affect tourist satisfaction, namely destination services, recreational facilities, cultural tours, hotel services, restaurant services and host culture, destination’s natural environment, local culture and climate, among others (Yüksel 2001; Pizam et al. 1978). The various positive and negative experiences therefore occur as a result of customer interactions with these attributes, and it is the cumulative effects that ultimately determine the tourists’ overall evaluation of the experience. Applying this point to the 21st-century context, it would be reasonable to suggest that the understanding of customer satisfaction has become even more complicated. This is because, in tourism, not only do tourists travel, but information also travels. Tourists of the present era live in a wired world and they are sophisticated, savvy and above all, have a permanent online presence through social networks. As such, information on products and services of several destinations, perceptions of a holiday destination, and comparisons of different facilities, the best deals and level of service are constantly fed online. This implies that tourists are updated permanently on tourism products and in real time. To keep pace with this trend, it becomes important for destination managers and marketers to understand the virtual interactions of tourists in order to evaluate customer perceptions of their experiences and their interpretation of attributes leading to their satisfaction.
