Tourists travel behavior, satisfaction and its implication in hotel performance

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Problem Statement2

Purpose of the Study3

Rationale of the Study3

Aim of the Study4

Objectives of the Study4

Research Questions5

Scope and Significance of the Study5

Thesis Outline6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW7

Theoretical Framework7

Customer Satisfaction Theories8

Consumer Satisfaction10

Consumer satisfaction Measurement13

Consumer Measurement Attributes15

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY16

Research Design16

Region under Study16

Sample Participants17

Instrument17

Data Collection18

Data Analysis18

Projected Time Table20

WORKS CITED21

APPENDIX A23

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Since the 1950s, tourism has been part of an integrated strategy to fuel urban regeneration, develop transport systems, finance rural development, improve education, and encourage cultures and private sector development through employment and economic growth (Elliott, Mann, 55). Tourism is the practice of visiting another country to sightsee and to learn about the country and its people. Tourism can effectively promote the development of a variety of enterprises in the host country that provide services to tourists, which can attract additional tourists. (Sharply, Talfer 39) analyzed tourism as an agent of change and development in African countries and found that in an attempt to promote economic growth in Kenya, Kenya's national bank, which dedicated its resources to Kenya's wildlife, failed to adequately fulfill its functions as mandated by the board of governors. As a result, the people managing the funds did not properly safeguard those funds.

The World Bank study further revealed, the most visited location in Kenya was, the coastal regions around Mombasa, the game reserves of Masai Mara, and Amboseli, and the majority of visitors came from Germany and Britain to witness these sights. However, the increasing in tourism has also had a negative impact on this natural resource. The economic betterment of Kenya is inextricably linked to the preservation of these resources and the maintenance of tourism.

Tourism is a strategic industry that has the potential to eradicate poverty in East Africa. However, quick profits and political realities rather than team goals for the tourist industry often inform the attitudes and approaches of the people who manage the tourist resorts. For example, in 2003, threats toward tourists caused some European countries to 2 cancel flights to Kenya, which severely curtailed tourist activities in the country. The precise nature of the interactions between tourism, economic development, and the preservation of natural resources is not clearly understood.

Because Kenya is a developing nation with a lack of major industries, tourism is an important factor in their economic development. Statistics on tourism indicate that in 1998 and 1999, significant numbers of tourists visited Kenya: 894,300 in 1998 and 969,300 in 1999, for a total of 1,863,600. From 1999 to 2004, the rate of tourism decreased. The total number of international arrivals in Kenya in 2005, however, was 1.68 million, an increase of 23% over the previous year. Since gaining its independence in 1963, Kenya has tried to overcome biases toward foreigners that have hindered the development of tourism. The native peoples of Kenya (as well as those of Tanzania and Uganda) formerly harbored certain resentments toward foreigners, who in colonial times imposed their own interests upon the ...