Measuring tourist satisfaction and destination image with HOLSAT

Abstract

HOLSAT instrument measures tourist satisfaction by comparing tourists' expectations and experience regarding various destination attributes. Destination image influences tourists' expectations, while experience in the destination modifies tourists' image perceptions, creating differences between pre-visit and post-visit images. Based on these relationships, which are theoretically explored in its first part, this study argues that HOLSAT may be used for destination image research. The second part of the study represents a demonstration of how HOLSAT may be used for measurement of both tourist satisfaction and destination image, whereby the research was conducted in Belgrade, a developing urban destination. The city's tourism industry and destination image were severely damaged in the 1990s, whereby they have started to slowly recover since 2000. Based on the results of the conducted survey, satisfactory and unsatisfactory destination attributes were identified, as well as positive and negative components of city's pre-visit destination image. The most important positive components are related to the destination's affordability, while the negative components are related to safety, cleanliness and the arrival station. Modifications of destination image caused by the visit were also identified. The biggest image improvement after the visit was registered in attributes related to safety and the friendliness of the local residents, while the negative modifications related to the public transport were identified as the most important ones.