Tourist satisfaction, dissatisfaction and place attachment at sun and sand mass tourism destinations

Abstract

This thesis aims to tackle certain issues that can help offer a better insight into a destination's situation by using an analysis of tourist satisfaction as a basis. The general aims of this thesis are: (1) To analyse the structure of factors that play a determining role in tourist satisfaction; (2) To find a valid tool, based on tourist satisfaction ratings, which can be used to compare destinations; (3) To find out whether, in addition to tourists' declared satisfaction with the different attributes of a destination, certain negative characteristics or situations that arise during the trip might influence their final impressions; and (4) To study the existence of emotional links between tourists and destinations. The thesis focuses on sun and sand destinations, although many of its objectives and conclusions are applicable to other types of destinations. The data used in this study was taken from a survey conducted in the Balearic Islands during the high season of 2006.