Analyzing the Factors Affecting the Satisfaction of Domestic Tourists in Yazd Province Using Fuzzy DEMATEL

Nowadays, tourism industry is considered as the main part of the global economy. tourism industry is among the most important industries capable of stimulating economic growth. Understanding what drives satisfaction for a tourist is one of the most relevant areas of research for the tourism industry. Tourists’ satisfaction is a strong indicator of their intention to visit and recommend destinations to others. This is one of the cheapest and most effective forms of marketing and development. Yazd province is important in tourism. In this research, fuzzy DEMATEL is used to investigate and modeling the relationship among effective factors in Domestic tourists’ satisfaction in Yazd province. To achieve this purpose, factors were identified after a comprehensive review of literature and fuzzy Delphi. Then to explain and evaluate the relationship among the factors, the fuzzy DEMATEL approach was used. According to the results, factors affecting the satisfaction of Yazd domestic tourists are cost levels and their fairness; public transportation performance; provided services; quality of facilities and services; tour operators’ knowledge; cleanness of places; quality of attractions; parking services; urban architecture beauty and quality; cultural values; hospitality of host community; tourism advertisement at province level; quality of tourist guide books, brochures and maps; destination facilities and infrastructure; variety of customs, traditions and cultures; variety of accommodation and entertainment services; region’s health; uniqueness of attractions; variety of tour services, souvenirs, handicrafts, food and beverage; and secondary attractions. Finally, some recommendations were offered for enhancing tourists’ satisfaction based on findings