I Can't Get No Satisfaction: Or Can I? Satisfying Australian Whale-Watching Tourists

Abstract

Satisfying tourists while also adhering to environmental regulations represents a continuous challenge for whale watching operators. Satisfaction is often conceptualized differently by academics and practitioners, and both the level of operator whale-watching experience and government regulations at destinations can vary. This research seeks to identify how satisfaction significantly influences tourists' sociodemographics, repurchase intentions, and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) communication intentions at two Australian whale-watching destinations that differ in their level of expertise in offering whale-watching experiences. Multiple regression determined that most tourists were very satisfied with their whale-watching experience and exhibited high repurchase and positive WOM communication intentions. At both destinations, individual satisfaction items predicted the most variance in repurchase intentions and positive WOM communication intentions, suggesting a holistic approach to satisfaction is not warranted when evaluating a whale-watching experience. Chi-square tests, t tests, and analysis of variance determined that tourists at each destination varied significantly in their age, education, and origin. To provide a satisfying tourist experience and facilitate environment protection, these personnel must continue to offer high-quality services that guarantee whale sightings within a designated time period while also adhering to environmental regulations.