Testing a holistic model of tourist destination loyalty

The purpose of the present study is to test a holistic destination loyalty model using the case of Budva in Montenegro. The model combines the following six variables: tourist satisfaction, loyalty and preferences, destination performance, perceived value and destination image. The structural equation modelling (SEM) approach is adopted. Model tests confirm good fit of the data to the proposed model and it is recommended to further validate the model using other destination settings

Civil aviation and tourism demand in Montenegro: A panel data approach

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to investigate the role of civil aviation in the case of Montenegro, one of the smallest countries in Europe and one whose economy heavily relies on tourism. Methods: For this research, a dynamic panel data approach is used, where five models are proposed for modelling tourism demand. Available seats per kilometer, the Herfindahl-Hirschman index, jet fuel prices, exchange rates, and seasonality are used as the models' explanatory variables, in line with the available litetrature. Results: The econometric results show that all suggested models are valid, the explanatory variables are statistically significant, and their coefficients have the expected sign, suggesting a strong relationship between tourism demand and civil aviation. Implications: Apart from being one of the first attempts to highlight the civil aviation and tourism nexus in the context of Montenegro, this paper contributes to the literature by suggesting a way forward for destination managers and policymakers in small countries with great tourism potential

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AS AN INDICATOR OF SERVICE QUALITY IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

One of the greatest challenges for stakeholders is to ensure customer satisfaction, especially in service industries such as tourism and hospitality. The aim of this paper is to show that restaurant guest satisfaction depends on numerous factors as well as to show the connection between satisfaction and loyalty. Customer satisfaction and loyalty are excellent indicators of service quality. For the purpose of this paper, empirical survey was conducted and the results of the research were analyzed by statistical method. Factors which affect customer satisfaction are: kind staff, professionalism, speed of service, food quality, ambience and comfort. This implicates a special need for the introduction of strong Human Resource Management, food safety standards (e.g. HACCP) and effective space planning. The study implies that the care for quality of products and services is necessary at all levels and that it is impossible to ensure the customer satisfaction or create customer loyalty without strong management system (including space projecting) and without controlling it

Modeling Perceived Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Probability of Guest Returning to the Destination

In the hotel industry, it is a well-known fact that, despite of quality and variety of services provided, there is a low probability that the guests will return. This research is focused on identifying the basic factors of the hotel offer, which could determine the influence on the correlation between the guests’ satisfaction and the probability of their return. The objective of the article is to explore the relationship between the guests’ satisfaction with the quality hotel services in total (including the tourist offer of the place) and the probability of his return to the same destination. The questionnaire method was applied in the survey, and the data were analysed based on factor analysis. Thereafter, the model for forecasting the probability of the guests returning to the destination was established, by using the example of Montenegrin tourism. The model represents a defined framework for the guest’s decision-making process. It identifies two main characteristics of guest experiences: satisfaction and rated quality (of the destination’s overall hotel service and tourist offer). The same model evaluates the impact of the above factors on the probability of the guests’ returning to the same destination. The starting hypothesis was the existence of a high degree of correlation between the guests’ satisfaction (with the destination’s hotel services and tourist offer) and the probability of returning to the selected Montenegrin destinations. The research confirmed the above-mentioned hypothesis. The results have revealed that there are significant differences in perceived quality, i.e. satisfaction between the target groups of Eastern and Western European tourist

High Reliability Organisations in a Changing World: The Case of Air Traffic Control

Organisations, which operate relatively error-free for a prolonged period, are called Highly Reliable Organisations (HROs). Examples of such organisations are mainly found amongst those sectors, where failures have a high risk of resulting in harm to human life such as healthcare, chemical or nuclear power plants or the aviation industry. High Reliability Organisations Theory (HROT) stresses five characteristics, which HROs need to have to achieve high standards of stable operations. This paper provides insights on how one of the most important HROs within the aviation sector, i.e., Air Traffic Control (ATC), applies HROT in practice. As ATC is a service provider set up to maintain the high safety levels within the aviation industry, this is an exemplary case to investigate theory versus practice. Data for the empirical study relied on two Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), which were able to cover all aspects of the research questions, i.e. the German ANSP Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH as a large organisation and the U.K. ANSP Air Navigation Solutions Ltd. as a smaller one. Data were collected using seventeen semi-structured interviews with ATC management experts across three managerial levels and review of 672 documents. The findings suggest that although HRO theoretical principles are followed within the case organisations to a very large extent, the HROT applies predominantly in the areas of operations. Any indirectly or only loosely connected areas with ATC operations follow principles found in non HROs. The findings also support the strong correlation of a high level of resilience and HROT. From a policy and management perspective this raises the question, whether HROT needs to further adapt to consider parts of an organisation that are truly relevant to operate in a relatively error-free manner for prolonged periods rather than just organisations as a whole