Examining the Structural Relationships among Antecedents of Tourist Satisfaction and its Behavioral Consequences: Case of Puducherry (India)

Abstract

Tourist satisfaction is an essential tool for increasing destination competitiveness. It is also considered the most vital factor in ensuring visitors revisit the place. Puducherry union territory is one of the best tourist destinations in India, where tourism is one of the service sectors that shows an imperative dimension in the economic growth of the union territory. To get an attempt to gain a better understanding of tourists' satisfaction in Pondicherry destination, this study follows the method of a case study to examine the relationship among antecedents of tourist satisfaction and its outcomes and also to factually test the latent constructs that probably affect tourist satisfaction, which could act on tourist loyalty. The theoretical research model was evolved to support a thorough review of available conceptual and factual research in the emerging tourism-marketing field. The factual data were collected using the survey method using structured questionnaires in the union territory of Puducherry. For the analysis, a total of 271 responses were accepted. Structural Equation Modeling with the statistical tool of Smart PLS was used to analyze the data. The findings supported the hypothesized Tourist Satisfaction Model, showing that visitor satisfaction directly affected tourist loyalty. Both the image of the destination and the perceived quality of the destination were direct predictors of total visitor satisfaction. Overall, tourist satisfaction influenced tourist loyalty directly and beneficially. Based on the study results, theoretical and managerial implications were established and suggestions were made for future studies.