An Analysis of the Relationship Between Sustainable Competitive Advantages and Tourists Satisfaction and Loyalty (Case Study: Rural Tourism in Golestan Province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Shargh Golestan Higher Education Institute, Gonbad-e-Kavous, Iran.

2 PhD Student Economics, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.

Abstract

Recently, rural tourism is a type of tourism that has the capacity to attract tourists along with rural development by making surplus income, providing a better quality of life for residents, and improving infrastructures. Regarding the mediating role of overall satisfaction in the rural tourism industry, this study investigates the relationship between the factors of sustainable competitive advantages and loyalty through a descriptive-analytical approach. The statistical population of the research involves all visitors of Golestan province villages. The statistical sample comprises 386 tourists based on Krejcie and Morgan Table. A questionnaire is used for data collection, and a pre-test is applied to test its validity and reliability. The validity of the survey is confirmed by content methods, tools, and constructs, and its reliability is confirmed by Cronbach's alpha method. The authors, while thoroughly reviewing the theoretical foundations and selecting the members of the statistical sample using simple random sampling, have tested the research hypotheses by a structural equation modeling method. Using LISREL 8.8 software, the results of the structural equation model show that there is a significant relationship between factors such as quality, value, image, and satisfaction and dependent variables of overall satisfaction and loyalty.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Akbarian ronizi, S., Rajaie, S. (2018). Factors Affecting on the Loyalty in Tourism Case study: Qeshm. urban tourism, 5(2), 87-99.
Aligholi zadeh Firoozjaie, N., Ghanbarzadeh Ashari, A. (2016). Assessment of Rural Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in the Villages of Forest Regions and Their Effective Factors. Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 4(15), 170-188.
Asgarnezhad Nouri, B,. Nemati, V,.Abbasgholizadeh, N,. (2019). The Effect of Perceived Value on the Destination Image, Satisfaction and Loyalty of Medical Tourists: A Case Study in Ardabil. Journal of Health, 10(1), 34-49.
Assaker, G., Vinzi, V. E., & O’Connor, P. (2011). Examining the effect of novelty seeking, satisfaction, and destination image on tourists’ return pattern:: As two factor, non-linear latent growth model. Tourism Management, 32(4), 890–901.
Beiki, P., tardast, Z. (2018). Evaluating the Quality of Urban Tourism Destination Components in terms of Destination Management (Case Study: Ferdowsi Tomb, Tous Town). urban tourism, 5(1), 53-6.
Bigné, J. E., Sánchez, M. I., & Sanz, S. (2005). Relationships among residents’ image, evaluation of the stay and post-purchase behaviour. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 11(4), 291–299.
Campón, A. M., Alves, H. M., & Hernández, J. M. (2016). Loyalty measurement in tourism: A theoretical reflection In: A. Matias, P. Nijkamp, & M. Sarmento (Eds.), Advances in tourism economics: Quantitative methods (pp. 13–40). Berlin   /Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag A Springer Company.
Chen, C. F., & Chen, F. S. (2010). Experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intentions for heritage tourists. Tourism management, 31(1): 29-35.
Chen, C., & Tsai, D. (2007). How destination image and evaluative factors affect behavioral intentions. Tourism Management, 28(4), 1115–1122.
Chen, J. S., & Gursoy, D. (2001). An investigation of tourists’ destination loyalty and preferences. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13 (2), 79–85.
Chi, C. G. Q., & Qu, H. (2008). Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: An integrated approach. Tourism Management, 29(4), 624–636.
Cronin J, Taylor S. (1992). Measuring service quality: A reexamination and extension. Journal of Marketing, 56 (3), 125–131.
Darzian Azizi, A., Feli, R., Rahimi, F., Mahmoodi, E. (2016). the effect of Cognitiv and emotional factors on the loyalty tourist of the destinationtourist. New Marketing Research Journal, 6(2), 54-37.
Eusébio, C., & Vieira, A. L. (2013). Destination attributes’ evaluation, satisfaction and behavioural intentions: A structural modelling approach. International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(1), 66–80.
Farahani, B., bahari, J., Bahari, S., Bazleh, M. (2018). Examine the Effective Factors on Tourist Loyalty to the Tourism( Case study: Foreign tourists traveled To Tabriz City destinations). Geography and Planning, 22(64), 19-33.
Forgas-Coll, S., Palau-Saumell, R., Sánchez-García, J., & Callarisa Fiol, L. J. (2012). Urban destination loyalty drivers and cross-national moderator effects: The case of Barcelona. Tourism Management, 33(6), 1309–1320.
Gallarza, M. G., & Gil, I. (2006). Value dimensions, perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty: An investigation of university students’ travel behaviour. Tourism Management, 27(3), 437–452.
Ghaderi, Z., & Henderson, J. C. (2012). Sustainable rural tourism in Iran: A perspective from Hawraman Village. Tourism Management Perspectives, 2, 47–54.
Ghafari, M., Rezaei Dolat Abadi, H., Dehghani Anari, F. (2014). Studying the Effective Factors on the Tourists’ Loyalty to Tourism Destinations (Inbound Tourists who Visited Isfahan as Case Study). Organizational Culture Management, 12(3), 551-568.
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), 139–151.
Heidarzadeh, K. (2017). The Impact of Tourism Services Quality on Tourism Destination Loyalty, Considering the Mediating Role of the Tourism Destination Image and the Tourists Satisfaction. Tourism Management Studies, 12(40), 115-153.
Hernández-Lobato, L., Solís-Radilla, M. M., Moliner-Tena, M. A., & Sánchez-García, J. (2006). Tourism destination image, satisfaction and loyalty: A study in Ixtapa-
Hutchinson, J., Lai, F., & Wang, Y. (2009). Understanding the relationships of quality, value, equity, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions among golf travelers. Tourism Management, 30(2), 298–308.
Imani khoshkhou, M., ayoubi yazdi, H. (2010). The Critical Success Factors of Consumer-Based Brand Equity in Yazd Tourism Destination. Tourism Management Studies, 5(13), 113-138.
Jaberi, A., khazaei pool, J., Asadi, H. (2018). The Effect of Perceived Quality of Sport Tourism Destinations on Satisfaction and Intention to Revisit. Journal of Sport Management, 10(1), 17-32.
Jafari, S,. Najarzade, M, Jafari,N,. Rajabi, N,.(2017). The Structural Relationship of Perceived Value and Tourist Satisfaction with Environmentally Responsible Behavior: The Mediating Role of Tourist Activity Involvement. Tourism Management Studies, 12(37), 115-151.
Jafari, V., Najjarzadeh, M., Feizabadi, Z. (2017). Survey Factors Affecting Tourism Destination Brand Equity (Case Study: Savadkuh County). Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 6(20), 75-93.
Jalalian, H., Rezvani, M., Tahmasebi, A., Oroji, H. (2018). Explanation of a Rural Tourism System Model by Using the Chaos Theory and the Butler Model: A Case Study of Mesr Village, Khur-biabank County. Journal of Rural Research, 9(2), 222-235.
Jalilvand, M. R., Pool, J. K., Vosta, L. N., & Nafchali, J. S. (2014). The effect of marketing constructs and tourists’ satisfaction on loyalty to a sport destination: A structural equation model and analysis. Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 7(4), 316–332.
Jani, S., Donyabin, F. (2017). Analyzing the Effective Factors on the Number of National Tourists and Tourists’ Length of Stay: A Province-wide Study. Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 6(22), 30-53.
Karami,. F,. Zeinali, B, (2015). The Quality of Destination Tourism Product, Tourist Satisfaction and Future Behavioral Tendencies of Tourists: The Case of El-Gölü Park in Tabriz. Geographical space, 15(51), 97-119.
 Karshki.H. (2016). Linear structural relations in the human sciences research (basics and easy guide of application of Lisrel software ), Avaye- Noor Publication.
Kastenholz, E., Carneiro, M. J., & Eusébio, C. (2006). Studying visitor loyalty to rural tourist destinations In: M. Kozak, & L. Andreu (Eds.), Progress in tourism marketing: Advances in tourism research studies (pp. 239–253). Oxford/Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Kazemi, A., Ghafari, M., Konjkav Monfared, A., Taslimi, A. (2015). Studying the Effect of Tourism Destinations Attachment on the Satisfaction and Loyalty of Tourists (Case Study: Domestic Tourists who Visited Isfahan). Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 4(12), 34-51.Mahmood, S., Ranjbaryan, B., Fathi, S. (2016). Developing a Model of Potential Tourists’ Image of Iran as Tourist Destination. Tourism Management Studies, 10(29), 21-44.
Khazarnezhad, B,. Heidari, R, (2016). Analysis of effective factors in the formation of destination image of urban tourism - Case Study: City of Urmia. , 6(21), 5-16.
Kim, A. K., & Brown, (2012). Understanding the relationships between perceived travel experiences, overall satisfaction, and destination loyalty. Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism Hospitality Research, 23(3), 328–347.
Kim, S. H., Holland, S., & Han, H. S. (2012). A structural model for examining how destination image, perceived value, and service quality affect destination loyalty: A case study of Orlando. International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(4), 313–328.
Kozak, M. (2001). Repeaters’ behavior at two distinct destinations. Annals of Tourism Research, 28(3), 784–807.
Kozak, M. (2002). Comparative analysis of tourist motivation by nationality and destinations. Tourism Management, 221-232.
Lai, W.H. & Quang Vinh, N. (2012). A study of analyzing the selection of promotion activities and destination attributes in tourism industry in Vietnam from the perspective of tourism industrial service network (TISN), International journal of social and human science, No. 6: 330-336.
Lee, J. J., Kyle, G., & Scott, D. (2012). The mediating effect of place attachment on the relationship between festival satisfaction and loyalty to the festival hosting destination. Journal of Travel Research, 51(6), 754–767.
Lee, J., Graefe, A. R., & Burns, R. C. (2004). Service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention among forest visitors. Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, 17(1), 73–82.
Mahmoodi, S., Ranjbaryan, B., Fathi, S. (2016). Developing a Model of Potential Tourists’ Image of Iran as Tourist Destination. Tourism Management Studies, 10(29), 21-44.
McKercher, B., & Guillet, B. D. (2011). Are tourists or markets destination loyal? Journal of Travel Research, 50(2), 121–132.
Mechinda, P., Serirat, S., & Gulid, N. (2009). An examination of tourists’ attitudinal and behavioral loyalty: Comparison between domestic and international tourists. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 15(2), 129–148.
Moeinfard, M, Esmaeili, MH, Shooshinasab, P,. Bansbordi, A. (2017). The relationship between the dimensions of service quality as well as the satisfaction of tourist tourists in Mashhad's water parks,. Journal of Sport Management and Motor Behavior, 13(26), 223-236.
Molazemolhosseini, M., Rojuee, M., Moradi, M. (2017). The Effects of the Development of Tourist Sites on Satisfaction of Religious Tourists (Case Study: Mashhad as a Metropolis). Tourism Management Studies, 12(39), 123-142.
Murphy, P., Pritchard, M. P., & Smith, B. (2000). The destination product and its impact on traveller perceptions. Tourism Management, 21(1), 43–52.
Noorian., M, (2016). Structural equations modeling with Lisrel, Bishe Publications.
Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63, 33–44.
parvazi, M. (2017). Analyzing the Special Value of Urban Tourism Brand (Case Study: Baneh Border City). Geography (Regional Planning), 7(1), 49-69.
Phillips, W. J., Wolfe, K., Hodur, N., & Leistritz, F. L. (2013). Tourist word of mouth and revisit intentions to rural tourism destinations: A case of North Dakota, USA. International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(1), 93–104.
Prayag, G., & Ryan, (2012). Antecedents of tourists’ loyalty to Mauritius: The role and influence of destination image, place attachment, personal involvement, and satisfaction. Journal of Travel Research, 51(3), 342–356.
Ramezanzade, M,. (2016). Evaluation of major determinants of loyalty in rural tourism (case study: villages of rural districts of Goleijan.Tonekabon). Geografical Association, 14(49), 79-94.
Rivera, M. A., & Croes, R. (2010). Ecotourists’ loyalty: Will they tell about the destination or will they return? Journal of Ecotourism, 9(2), 85–103.
Shirkhodaie, M., Alizadeh Sani, M., Amoli Diva, F. (2016). Examining the Effect of Destination Image on Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions in Health Tourism (Case Study: Lavij Spa). Journal of Taourism Planning and Development, 5(17), 128-145.
Sun, X., Chi, C. G. Q., & Xu, H. (2013). Developing destination loyalty: The case of Hainan Island. Annals of Tourism Research, 43, 547–577.
Yoon, Y., & Uysal, M. (2005). An examination of the effects of motivation and satisfaction on destination loyalty: A structural model. Tourism Management, 26 (1), 45–56.
Žabkar, V., Brenčič, M. M., & Dmitrović, T. (2010). Modelling perceived quality, visitor satisfaction and behavioural intentions at the destination level. Tourism Management, 31(4), 537–546.