Abstract
Orientation: Although OR Tambo International Airport is the busiest airport in Africa, hotel occupancies and revenue per available room at or near the airport have been lower than the industry average.Research purpose: The aim of this research was to gain an improved understanding of customer experiences and return intentions in hotels at or near OR Tambo International Airport.Motivation for the study: The research was pursued to determine hotel attributes that are important for customer experiences and return intentions in hotels at or near OR Tambo International Airport. To determine the difference in domestic visitors’ experiences and return intentions in hotels and to determine a difference in customers’ experiences and return intentions in the respective hotels.Research design, approach and method: This study was mainly quantitative with some qualitative elements. A meeting was held with five hoteliers and airport management (qualitative), and 400 return guests of hotels at or near OR Tambo International Airport successfully completed questionnaires (quantitative).Main findings: The findings showed that ‘reliability’, ‘empathy’ and ‘assurance’ are important attributes contributing to customers’ experiences in hotels at or near airports. Reliability and overall hotel experience were regarded as important attributes for hotel customers’ decision to return to hotels in airports.Practical/managerial implications: To improve customer experiences, hoteliers should emphasise more the following attributes: ‘reliability’, ‘empathy’ and ‘assurance’.Contribution/value-add: To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this study is a first attempt to determine customer experiences and return patronage in hotels at or near airports in South Africa. The results could help airport hotels to gain a competitive advantage over other hotel categories.
Highlights
As airports compete for travellers, they are shifting focus from their core activity of passenger and goods transportation to a more commercial approach (Fogarty 2015)
Airports have diversified into various non-aeronautical activities, which were initially considered secondary to their service portfolio (Skift 2013)
Hotels situated at or near OR Tambo International Airport were targeted. These hotels had to comply with the criteria set by Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA 2017) for classification as a hotel, namely: an establishment that provides formal accommodation with full or limited service to the travelling public
Summary
As airports compete for travellers, they are shifting focus from their core activity of passenger and goods transportation to a more commercial approach (Fogarty 2015). The purpose is to reduce their dependency on airlines and to differentiate themselves from other airports (Martin 2015). It has become common practice for airports to add hotels into their service portfolio (Zenglein & Müller 2007) and OR Tambo International Airport (in Johannesburg, South Africa) is no exception. OR Tambo International Airport is the biggest and the busiest airport in Africa (Statistics South Africa 2016), hotel occupancies at or near the airport have been low (Forster 2017), with hotels realising below-industry-average revenue per available room (RevPAR) (Price Waterhouse & Coopers [PWC] 2016a). According to PWC (2016a), identifying customer experiences and return patronage could improve customer loyalty and significantly unlock a hotel’s potential for future financial sustainability
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