Essay Example on Tourism: Exploring Beyond the Usual Places

Tourism is an activity where people travel and stay in environments away from their usual places for leisure, business or other reasons within not more than one year. Tourism might be nationwide or internationally. Tourism revolves around activities; sightseeing and camping. A person who is involved in this travelling for leisure is known as a tourist. These tourists do reside in places known as "resorts" - regions associated with tourism as an activity regarded as a tourist destination.

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Tourism as an industry jointly works together with distinguished sectors; travel sector, hospitality sector and visitor services sector. Thus, determining the quality of customer satisfaction in the tourism industry it is of importance to consider the above areas. This paper highlights the approach to evaluating the quality of services provided in the tourism industry through the evaluation process on the satisfaction of tourists and identifying the most effective technique of satisfying tourists in the tourism industry.

Mainly tourism boosts the economy of the country since tourism as an industry has a significant impact on the development of a nation. Contemporary forms of businesses established in tourism sector imposition of latest trends determined by the gradual increase in the number of tourists touring worldwide. Conceptually, the satisfaction of tourists is an essential weapon of strategy that is dependent upon the welfare of destined tourists. Conclusively, tourism has benefited nations since it is the most significant source of prosperity by generating more job opportunities and income as well. Business environment involves two categories of persons; service provider and the consumer (service user). For a healthy working environment, the consumer must be satisfied with the services to uplift the business to higher steps along the ladder.

The task of measuring the level of tourist satisfaction involves the quality of services provided by an individual enterprise.firstly with determining the levels of satisfaction; it is crucial to consider factors that intimately relate to the tourism industry and what mostly motivates tourists to visit the site. Travelling might be due to apparent reasons like pleasure, paying visits to friends and relatives, schedule work for a short term period and away from the usual place, attend a conference meeting, engage in business activity among other reasons. The tourism industry needs to differentiate tourists in regards to their travel purposes such that each category should address appropriately.

Various factors determine the satisfaction of tourists to the destined site. Through the diagnosis, the main aim is to point out discrete estimate that can be applied to boost the services.

Benchmarking approach

Through sampling of the 5-star hotels for benchmarking of the performance indicators. Benchmarking also involves the assessment of a particular entity servicing over its competitors. Carefully organizations with similar services provided are selected.

Expectancy disconfirmation approach

It is the most applied approach which measures consumer satisfaction concerning hospitality and tourism services. Organizations do enquire for feedback from their service consumers, thus rating whether the customer's anticipation was met in line with services provided. Actually, with the feedback comments provided by the final product users, the organization bridges the perceived gap existing between expectation and real performance.

Performance only approach

The approach only deals with the satisfaction of the consumer after being served even though there might be earlier speculations and expectations. However, regarding the information gathered the body responsible for management and decision approaching disconfirmation provides a better and powerful insight in comparison to performance only approach.

Importance-performance approach

The approach deals with satisfaction as a critical function of two components; the significance of the service/ product to the final user and performance of an entity in rendering a particular service/product. The technique is mostly used to measure the level of satisfaction in business entities such as tourism and hospitality. IPA approach to provide an overview of tourist satisfaction, thus establishing a vivid guide for resources allocation in the sector.

SERVQUAL and its extensions

Evaluation of service quality is a way of assessing customer satisfaction. The approach of measurement provides information that can be validated. SERVQUAL involves; tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The technique developed aiming to determine the levels of satisfaction with tourism destinations, accommodation service providers and restaurants.

Below are additional factors that affect tourist satisfaction are public transport, sports facilities, shopping prospects, children entertainments and attraction, orientation characters and free time schedules. In the real sense, distinguished tourists can express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction elementary.

The best technique to be applied in the tourist satisfaction of an organization is the service and quality assessment methodology. The approach involves the outlining and weighing of all services and product provided in the business entity and establish whether they are in line with the standard. Tourists from international regions dissatisfactions should not be applied in the assessment of customer satisfaction since the cultures might vary, creating negative feedback on service provision. Keeping in mind that individuals are always pleased with original cultural practice.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is advisable that a business entity should agree upon an appropriate technique for monitoring customer satisfaction with the business progress. Considerations of cost-affectivity should be put in place as well as preferably real timing, which can be applied in strategic planning and managing of the business.

References

Kozak, M., & Rimmington, M. (2000). Tourist satisfaction with Mallorca, Spain, as an off-season holiday destination. Journal of travel research, 38(3), 260-269.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1018.7725&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Chi, C. G. Q., & Qu, H. (2008). Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: An integrated approach. Tourism management, 29(4), 624-636.

Ryan, C. (1995). Researching tourist satisfaction: issues, concepts, problems. Routledge.

Alegre, J., & Garau, J. (2010). Tourist satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Annals of tourism research, 37(1), 52-73.

http://www.academia.edu/download/47620156/j.annals.2009.07.00120160729-26314-b11igh.pdf

Kozak, M., & Rimmington, M. (2000). Tourist satisfaction with Mallorca, Spain, as an off-season holiday destination. Journal of travel research, 38(3), 260-269.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1018.7725&rep=rep1&type=pdf