Tourist satisfaction with a destination: Evidence from low cost carrier users in Zadar County

Abstract

Tourist satisfaction, their willingness to recommend and to return to a destination represent the basic goals of a tourist destination. Low cost carriers contributed to improved accessibility of destinations, and their business model has led to lowering the prices and attracted new tourist segments. Their concept involves choosing smaller airports to ensure a high degree of aircraft utilization through reduction of the flight waiting time and cutting their own costs. Zadar Airport meets all the requirements of this air transport segment in Croatia. Impelled by aspirations to conquer more remote European markets, specifically Great Britain and Scandinavian countries, the Zadar County has decided to attract the largest low cost carrier Ryanair. This paper aims to analyse the low cost carrier users' satisfaction with the Zadar County by analysing the satisfaction with the individual elements of the tourist offer in the Zadar County and the overall satisfaction with the destination, as well as to establish how user satisfaction affects the motivation to recommend a destination and to return to it.