VISITOR ATRACTION MARKETING ATTRIBUTES AND TOURISTS’ BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS TOWARDS THE GARDEN CITY OF PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE NIGERIA

The study examined the effect of  Visitor Attraction (VA)marketing attributes (support services and activities)  and tourists’ behavioural intentions in the tourism sector in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research generated primary data from a sample of 100 tourists/visitors who patronised the VAs selected for the study using a well-structured questionnaire containing nine items, with five demographic items. To validate the four hypothesised relationships, inferential statistics were conducted with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The result of the inferential statistical analysis showed that the two VA  marketing attributes individually had a direct positive significant effect on tourists'/customers behavioural intentions. The study concluded that support services constitute an important factor that determines customers’ behavioural intentions such as revisiting the VAs for touristic purposes.  It is recommended that entrepreneurs managing VA  should identify, evaluate and provide support services at their sites based on their target market needs. Academic and practitioners’ implications are provided

E-SERVICE QUALITY AND TRAVELLER’S BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS IN ONLINE TRAVEL TRADE IN PORT HARCOURT, SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

The study investigated the direct effect of e-service quality on travellers’ behavioural intentions in the online travel trade of the tourism industry in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research generated data from 138 travellers found within the selected travel agencies during the survey with the use of a well-structured questionnaire made up of 9 scale items, with four demographic items. The result of the inferential statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) showed that travellers’ behavioural intentions towards online reservations are driven by e-service quality. In specific terms, information quality had a significant effect on travellers’ behavioural intentions in terms of repurchase intentions while responsiveness did not. Tourism service providers at the global scale are expected to build capabilities in online reservations in terms of information quality and responsiveness to enhance positive travellers’ behavioural intentions towards their online services

HOTEL BRANDING AND PATRONAGE OF SELECTED 3-STAR HOTELS IN PORT HARCOURT

This study examined the relationship between hotel branding and customer patronage of selected 3-star hotels in Port Harcourt. Two hypothesised relationships were formulated, with quality customer service and brand positioning serving as the dimensions of hotel branding. The study adopted the quasi-experimental research design and quantitative research approach and a causal design to test the influence of branding on components of customer patronage. The study population was hotel guests from registered 3-star hotels with the Commercial Department of the Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Port Harcourt as of February 2020, with a sample size of 224 determined with Freund and Williams formula for unknown population   The study hypotheses were analysed using Pearson’s product-moment coefficient which showed a positive and statistically significant relationship between the two hotel branding dimensions and customer patronage of 3-star hotels in Port Harcourt. The study concluded that a thought-out branding strategy can improve the 3-star hotel patronage in Port Harcourt and branding can further improve the effect on corporate reputation and image of the hotel. The researchers recommended that (i) Hotel managers should focus predominantly on branding those appeals to their target audience to ensure that their hotels address adequately patronage intentions and patronage actions to enhance customer patronage. (ii)Managers of hotels should position strategically, the components of branding to improve customer patronage

EVENT PLANNING AND TOURISTS REVISIT INTENTION TO CALABAR CARNIVAL

The study examined the effect of event planning on tourists' revisit intention to Calabar Carnival. The study adopted a survey descriptive research design with the use of a questionnaire as the main instrument for primary data collection. The population of the study was very large and unknown. The sample size of 158was  determined using Cochran’s formula for sample size determination from an infinite population.  The questionnaire was administered to the tourists who attended the Calabar carnival. The questionnaire was validated through the face and, content validity. The internal consistency of the instrument was excellent (.812) using Chronbach Alpha. The statistical tool for data analyses was  Pearson  Correlation. Major findings showed that event planning had a positive and significant relationship with tourists’ revisit intentions towards Calabar Carnival. The study concluded that proper event planning is crucial in promoting tourists’ revisit intentions. It was therefore recommended that stakeholders should embrace tourism destination marketing planning techniques to enhance tourists' revisit intentions