ABSTRACT
This
research is aimed at ascertaining the effect of destination image on tourist
satisfaction and loyalty in tourist centers in Abia state. During the course of
this work, three objectives and research questions were formulated. Thus,
survey research design was adopted of which data were sourced primarily through
questionnaire. Questionnaire were issued to 384 tourist that visit Ojukwu Bunker at Umuahia , the National Museum Arochukwu
cave for the specific period of one month. The data collected were analyzed
using descriptive statistics where mean and standard deviation were used for
decision making. It was revealed firstly that destination image has
effect on tourist satisfaction towards the Study areas. This
is revealed by the grand mean of 3.60 which is above the bench mark of 3.00 for
decision taking. Hence, it is confirmed that destination image has effect on
tourist satisfaction towards the Study areas.
Secondly, that destination image has effect on destination loyalty towards the Study areas. This
is revealed by the grand mean of 3.52 which is above the bench mark of 3.00 for
decision taking. Hence, it is confirmed that destination image has effect on destination loyalty towards the Study areas. Finally,
it was revealed that there is a high level of tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty
towards the Study areas. This is revealed
by the grand mean of 3.37 which is above the bench mark of 3.00 for decision
taking. Hence, it is confirmed that there is a high level of tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty
towards the Study areas. Based on the findings and conclusion, it
recommended that management
of tourist centers design a good destination image that can be able to attract
and retain customers, that designed tourist centers should be properly managed
to meet up customers’ expectations so as to influence customers loyalty and
that customer’s relationship management should be properly maintained through
proper description of tourist center activities so as to increase the level of
satisfaction thereof.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of problem 6
1.3 Objectives
of the study 7
1.4 Research
Questions 8
1.5 Significance of the study 8
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual
Framework
2.1.1 Destination image 10
2.1.2 Tourist satisfaction and loyalty 13
2.1.3 Concept of Loyalty 16
2.1.4 Tourist expectations in relation to perceived
value and satisfaction 16
2.1.5 Perceived
quality in relation with perceived value and satisfaction 17
2.1.5 Tourists’
perceived value in relation to satisfaction
19
2.1.6 Destination
image in relation to perceived value and satisfaction 20
2.1.7 The
Relationship among Destination Image, Tourist Satisfaction and Destination
Loyalty 22
2.1.8 Image Formation 25
2.2 THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
2.2.1 Expectancy-Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) 28
2.3 REVIEW
OF RELATED STUDY 29
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design 35
3.2 Area of the Study 35
3.3 Sources of Data 36
3.3 Population of the Study 37
3.4 Sampling & Sampling Procedure/Techniques 38
3.5 Reliability of Instrument 38
3.6 Validity of the Instrument 39
3.7 Method of Data Analysis 39
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSES
4.1 Distribution
and Questionnaire Return 40
4.2 Objective Analysis 43
4.3
Discussion of Results 47
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Summary of Findings 51
5.2 Conclusion 51
5.3 Recommendations 52
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
List
of Tables
4.1 Distribution and
Questionnaire Return 42
3.3 Effect of destination image on tourist
satisfaction towards the Study areas. 43
4.8 Effect of destination image on destination
loyalty towards the Study areas. 45
4.9 The level of
tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty towards the Study areas 46
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Nowadays, with the strong
growth in global tourism, several new destinations have emerged in addition to
the established favorite attractions in Nigeria and Africa. This, however, has
also created many challenges in tourism marketing of the destinations since the
more places in the world are developed for tourism exploitation the more
destination choices are available to visitors. Accordingly, a large number of
existing and new destinations are competing with each other to attract tourists
as well as to gain a better position in the international tourism market. This
globally competitive environment requires dedicated efforts in destination
management and promotion in order to create an attractive portfolio of tourism
products and services at the local level. In which, creating and managing
destination image is becoming one of the key sources of competitive advantage
and one of the important elements in the process of tourist’ destination choice
(Okafor, 2016, Okonkwo, 2015, Onuoha, 2016 and Offor, 2016). Besides, tourist
satisfaction with a destination is another important point that should be
focused on by the destination because if a destination is able to identify and
satisfy the needs and wants of tourists, these tourists will possibly make
repeat visits and spread positive word of mouth publicly, which is so-called
destination loyalty (Udo, 2014, Okezie, 2017 and Anyanwu, 2015). Essentially,
it has been proved by a number of tourism researches that tourists’ destination
loyalty is increased by positive destination image and high satisfaction
(Enyeiribe, 2018). Therefore, creating a distinctive and appealing destination
image and maximizing tourist satisfaction are the key missions of any
destinations in order to win in this on-going globally intensive competition.
Thus, due to the importance of destination imagine to tourist satisfaction and
loyalty, it becomes imperative to know its meaning.
Okafor (2016) defined
destination image is an interactive system of thoughts, opinions, feelings,
visualizations, and intentions toward destination. Chi and Qu (2008) define
destination image as an individual’s mental representation of the knowledge,
feelings, and overall perception of a particular destination. It is formed as a
result of interactions between cognitive, affective and conative elements
(Ishie and Ocha, 2016). Okon (2015) describe destination image as the
perception of destination features or attributes known as cognitive images,
while the combination of cognitive and affective images refers to mental
pictures or place imagery such as a safe and enjoyable experience for the
family. Similarly, Chiori (2014) claim that destination image is people’s
belief, idea or impression about a place.
However, tourist destinations with better diverse attractions have
become more important than individual attractions due to better highways over
the past few years in world. Destination image, tourist satisfaction and
destination loyalty are vital factors which are used to explain visitor
motivation or their intention to revisit a tourist destination (Okoro, 2015).
Tourist satisfaction is a post consumption assessment of the service received
and is entirely dependent on destination image. As the number of areas
developed for tourism increase, the choice of destinations available to
consumers’ drastically expands.
Furthermore, today’s tourists, encouraged by increased time devoted for
leisure, increasing disposable income, and highly efficient transport networks,
have ability and capacity to choose from various destinations available to
them. As such, tourism marketing faces issues of influencing the consumer
decisions in an ever increasing complex and competitive market place
(Alexandris, Kouthhouris, and Meligidis, 2016).
One of the most striking challenges in tourism marketing is a need to
effectively position a destination. To successfully encourage tourism in the
targeted market, destination should be differentiated from its competitors, or
otherwise positively positioned in consumers’ minds (Ekinci, and Hosany, 2016).
A key strategic component in this instance is creation and enhancement of
distinct, unique and appealing perception, or image, of that particular
destination (Pike, 2013).
Eberechi, (2018) posits that there exist negative and positive
associations with a destination, its products, people, which are somewhat
difficult to be altered. Destination images affect tourists travel decisions
and behavior towards that destination as well as the level of satisfaction,
recollection and the tourism experience (Naidoo, Ramseook and Ladsawut, 2010).
Therefore, perceived images of the destination form a backbone of evaluation
and selection process and thus gives a link between motivation and destination
selection
More so, to understand the diversity of perceptions, images, and level
of satisfaction vis-a-vis motivation towards a destination is pivotal in the
understanding and prediction of tourism demand and its effects on local tourism
destination. Simply put, the understanding of destination image and consumers’
perception is important to a destination and acts as a basis of more efficient
and effective future strategic planning and decision making. Practically, it
implies that image studies are necessary conditions for successful marketing
strategy (Lai, Griffin, and Babin, 2014). This way, it is essential to
understand timings of image formation, and the exact time when that image
influence tourist satisfaction and hence motivation to revisit (Sirakaya,
2016). Essentially, those destinations with strong, positive images are likely
to be chosen in making travel decisions (Heung, Qu, and Chu, 2001). Thus,
destination image has a critical role in various travel models of making
travelling decisions (Yoon, and Uysal, 2015). Once at the destination,
tourists’ satisfaction entirely depends upon evaluation of expectations on
previously perceived images and the actual reality the destination portrays
(Prayang, 2008).
Instructively, Anyanwu (2015) define tourist satisfaction as the extent of
the tourist’s fulfillment pleasure which occured from the trip experience about
a product or service feature that fulfills the tourist’s desires, expectations
and wants in association with the trip. Satisfaction is created by the
comparison of the customer’s expectation before and after consumption. In
tourism context, satisfaction is primarily referred to as a function of
pre-travel expectations and post-travel experiences. The tourist is satisfied
when experiences go beyond the expectations. However, if the tourist feels
displeasure, dissatisfaction will be the expected outcome (Chen and Chen, 2013;
Reisinger and Turner, 2013). From the foregoing discussion, it is understood
that satisfaction of tourists is caused by two different dimensions: firstly,
it is related to the pre-expectation of the tourist before the travel; and
secondly, it is referred to the justification of the tourist on the delivered
services after the travel, and based on the real experiences. Thus, the important role of
destination image, both in understanding tourist travel behavior and designing
of efficient and effective tourism marketing strategies, emphasizes the need to
create tactics so as to comprehensively and accurately measure this concept. To
achieve this task, tourism scholars have the benefit of assessing the methods
which have been created to measure destination image in general. However, since
tourism destinations are complicated and vary in their diversity, it is
important to develop more accurate, specific and complex conceptual frameworks
so as to accurately measure destination image
Conclusively, a number of studies have already been done to measure
image destinations, such as regions, states and countries. However, to date, no
serious effort has been put to fully examine this study in terms of its
efficiency and effectiveness in measuring and defining destination image
concepts. As such, the bedrock of this research is to ascertain the effect of
destination image on tourist satisfaction and loyalty in tourist centers in
Abia state.
1.2 Statement of problem
Issues related to
destination image, event image, and satisfaction are important factors that are
likely to influence, directly or indirectly, travel-related future behavior, a premise
that has been supported by empirical evidence (Bigne, Sanchez, and Sanchez,
2014; Kaplanidou and Vogt, 2017; Qu, Kim, and Im, 2014). However, existing
research in the sport management and tourism marketing has uncovered some
weaknesses and limitations. First, the limitations are related to questions
regarding the mediating role of satisfaction in the relationship between the
two images (i.e., destination image and event image) and behavioral intention
at recurring small-scale event (i.e., marathons). Although satisfaction,
referred to as a function of pre-travel expectations and post-travel
experiences (Reisinger and Turner, 2016), has been incorporated as both a
consequence of destination image and an antecedent of behavioral intention
(Okon, 2015), no empirical work has examined the mediating role of satisfaction
in the relationship between the two images and behavioral intention. Given
previous findings that bundling a sport event with a particular host
destination might be an effective way to appeal to sport tourists (Chalip and
McGuirty, 2014), an event image that fits with a destination image could have
synergistically yield higher sport tourists' satisfaction, which, in turn,
could lead to positive behavioral intention. Second, even though the opportunities
to take part in recurring small-scale event have become increasingly pervasive,
the influence of sport tourists’ characteristics (e.g., previous visit
experience) has not been explored as a moderating effect on the hypothesized
relationships among the two images, satisfaction, and behavioral intention.
Previous visits to a destination or attendance at an event suggests greater
familiarity with the two entities (Kaplanidou, 2007). And familiarity might
influence the satisfaction or behavioral intention that people have in
connection with a destination image or event image. In other words, sport
tourists might not only be more satisfied but also behave greater behavioral
intention when they are familiar with a destination or event.
1.3 Objectives of the
study
The main objective is to
ascertain the effect of destination image on tourist satisfaction and loyalty
in tourist centers in Abia state.
1.3.2 Specific objective of
the study
The specific objectives include the following:
i.
establish the effect of
destination image on tourist satisfaction towards the Study areas
ii.
examining the effect of
destination image on destination loyalty towards the Study areas
iii.
ascertaining the level of
tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty towards the Study areas
1.4 Research Questions
i.
What is the effect of
destination image on tourist satisfaction towards the Study areas?
ii.
What is the effect of destination image on destination loyalty
towards the Study
areas?
iii.
What is the level of tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty
towards the Study
areas?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The study will contribute
immensely in aiding the government, general public (tourist), Management of
tourism centers, researchers and the academia generally.
This will provide an
insight and understanding to the government and general public (tourist) on the
importance of visiting tourism centers specially during off works hours,
holidays or vacations. It will enlighten time on the types of enlightenment
that can be seen in tourism centers in Abia State.
It is also of immense help
in providing an insight and knowledge to the management of tourism centers on
the forms of destination image that can be adopted in order to satisfy
customers as well as develop the tourism center.
To the academia, the
findings of the study will contribute to the available literature on the
current scenario of entertainment with respect to performance of tourism
centers. Based on our empirical findings and analysis, the result of the study
will be of immense benefit to researchers who will rely on their contributions
to existing knowledge for further research.
To students; it will serve
as consulting materials for further researches on this topic or similar topics.
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