Abstract
<p>This study attempts to investigate the antecedents of tourist satisfaction. The focus of the study is Langkawi Island, a well-known tourist destination in Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 tourists in Langkawi Island. Descriptive statistic, factor analysis and multiple regressions were run on the 482 useable data. The results indicate that 295 (61.2%) of the respondents were repeat visitors and the remaining 187(38.8%) were first-timers. More than half (56.8%) of the respondents had high levels of satisfaction with the mean items score of 3.90 and above. When factor analysis was run, seven factors emerged from the 33 items used to measure the contructs. Apart from tourist expectations, perceived quality, destination image, cost and risks, and perceived value, a new variable known as social-security was identified as a predictor. Regression analysis revealed that destination image, tourist expectations, costs and risks, and social-security have positive and significant influence on tourist satisfaction. Social-security was found to be the most important predictor of tourist satisfaction, followed by tourist expectations, destination image, and costs and risks. The findings of this study could provide guidelines for tourism managers and destination operators to further develop better strategies to satisfy travellers to Langkawi.</p>
Highlights
Travel and Tourism is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic service industries comprising a number of different sectors including travel, hospitality and visitor services
Regression analysis revealed that destination image, tourist expectations, costs and risks, and social-security have positive and significant influence on tourist satisfaction
The present study examines five antecedents of tourist satisfaction: tourist expectation, perceived quality, perceived value, destination image, and costs and risks
Summary
Travel and Tourism is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic service industries comprising a number of different sectors including travel, hospitality and visitor services. The Malaysian government has included the tourism industry as one of the 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) that will spearhead the country’s transformation into a high income nation by 2020. The biennial Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), which was first held in 1991, continues to attract government officials, trade delegations and visitors from all parts of the world. The Langkawi Development Authority (2014) reported an increasing number of tourists over the last decade, and in 2012 alone, the island welcomed a total of 3.06 million domestic and international tourists. Some of those tourists were first-timers, a sizeable number were repeat visitors. For the Asian and domestic visitors, duty-free shopping is an added attraction, but to the Westerners, the charm of the island lies in its natural beauty
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