Title: Tourists' satisfaction and destination loyalty: a case study on Cox's Bazar beach of Bangladesh

Authors: Md. Kamrul Hasan; Shamsul Kamariah Abdullah; Tek-Yew Lew; Md. Faridul Islam

Addresses: Faculty of Business, Curtin University, Malaysia ' Faculty of Business, Curtin University, Malaysia ' Faculty of Business, Curtin University, Malaysia ' Department of Marketing, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Abstract: An understanding of tourists' overall satisfaction and loyalty intentions is, nowadays, the central focus of successful destination marketing that reduces destination's marketing costs, increases income, and boosts up the profitability. This study assesses the empirical evidence on the relationships among tourists' expectations and experiences, overall satisfaction, and loyalty to Cox's Bazar beach, using a conceptual model that combines the concept of expectancy-disconfirmation theory and the service quality framework. Data were collected conveniently through a personal administered survey of 207 tourists with a structured questionnaire. The empirical results reveal that there are three factors namely attractions, amenities, and activities that significantly affect tourists' overall satisfaction, and then, the overall satisfaction positively influences tourists' loyalty. The key findings suggest that the authority concerned should formulate marketing strategies proactively to handle tourists' expectations and satisfactions with the destination offers to make a long run relationship with tourists that would in turn boost up their business and profitability.

Keywords: expectancy disconfirmation theory; service quality framework; overall satisfaction; Cox's Bazar beach; loyalty intention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLTM.2019.103542

International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 2019 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.174 - 193

Received: 09 Oct 2018
Accepted: 17 Oct 2018
Published online: 11 Nov 2019 *

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