Antonio Minguzzi

The Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in Emergent Tourist Destinations: A Strategic Investigation in South Central Italy

Scholars have made valuable contributions to the body of knowledge in the field of tourism; thus tourist satisfaction continues to be a topic of great interest. This paper investigates strategically the determinants of tourist satisfaction in three emerging tourism destinations of South Central Italy. The study applies qualitative and quantitative methods and introduces an empirical model for evaluating the factors affecting expectation and satisfaction of the tourist. The results show that efficiency of pedestrian traffic, parking, cleanliness, access to heritage sites, competence of operators, and staff knowledge are major determinants of tourist’s satisfaction. The study contributes to the body of knowledge and benefits strategic marketers and managers of emerging tourism destinations.