Make a customer, not a sale: Tourist satisfaction in Hong Kong

Abstract

Although tourism literature is replete with visitor satisfaction studies, little attention has been paid to comparing satisfaction between tourism sectors. Tourism is a complex system and the tourist satisfaction and performance of one sector have significant implications on another. This situation makes a comparative study indispensable for holistic tourism planning. Moreover, a destination is an amalgam of tourism products. It would therefore be parochial to examine one tourism product without comparing it to other products in the tourism system. Knowledge and understanding of such comparisons ensure comprehensive planning by tourism decision makers and marketers. In meeting the objectives declared in the introductory section, the study builds on previous research to adopt the Tourism Satisfaction Index Model and the Expectancy-Disconfirmation framework. Questionnaires are the main data collection instrument and data are analyzed through a series of statistical procedures. The findings reveal considerable differences in satisfaction between attractions and hotels. A strong correlation is identified between satisfaction and loyalty, and four antecedents of satisfaction are confirmed. The implications of the study are subsequently discussed.