Tourist Satisfaction in Kashmir: An Empirical Assessment

Abstract

Tourist satisfaction is one of the most important concerns of competitive destinations as it considerably influences the tourist’s choice of a destination, the consumption of products and services and the decision to visit the destination in the future. With the increasing role of tourism in the global economy and growing competition in the global tourism market, the importance of enhancing the satisfaction level of tourists is being recognized as a way to expand and maintain a large and loyal customer base for long-term success. Satisfied tourists bring success to the tourism business. They are likely to revisit and recommend the destination to their families and friends. On the other hand, dissatisfied tourists may not return to the same destination and may not recommend it to other tourists. Even worse, dissatisfied tourists may express negative comments about a destination and damage its market reputation. In view of the growing importance of tourist satisfaction for tourism promotion, present study is an attempt to measure the satisfaction level of tourists in Kashmir Valley. Based on data gathered from three hundred forty (340) tourists, the study brought to light four interpretable service quality dimensions for tourism services: Assurance, Tangibility, Responsiveness and Reliability. Findings are analyzed and suggestions for improving tourists’ satisfaction have been discussed.