Impact of entrepreneurial education on consumer loyalty in tourism industry

Abstract

Each educational activity in tourism is a vital tool of development. In most industries during the late 20th and early 21st century, the growing intensity of competition and dynamic development, has led to changes in the objectives of doing business, and this is especially true for the tourism industry. In the past, the focus was on attracting new customers, while marketing strategies now focus on retaining existing customers and winning their loyalty. The main reason for this new approach is the awareness of the economic impact of tourism customer loyalty. Travel and tourism companies with a higher share of consumer loyalty benefit from the growing rate of repurchase, increased tolerance to higher prices, positive advertisements on the basis of recommendations from satisfied tourist consumers and less tendency to switch to competitors. In order to achieve customer loyalty and all the benefits that implies, tourism companies must be aware of the factors that determine loyalty. Therefore, the subject of this paper analyzes the factors that influence consumer loyalty to tourism, in order to come to the knowledge of the type, intensity and mode of influence of individual factors on long-term customer loyalty. The quality of the training and education of entrepreneurship procure sub­sequent impact on customer loyalty. The paper points out the importance of entrepreneurship education in the European Union with a focus on the quality of educational programs. In turn, the number and quality of the coverage factor of success in a wholesome entrepreneurial economy is expanded, especially in the tourism industry as its most dynamic part.