Destination Choice, Satisfaction and Loyalty of Ski Tourists in the Indian Himalayas

Abstract

Indian Himalayas are famous for natural resources and attractiveness for leisure, religious, and adventure tourism. Gulmarg is a unique site in this region selected for this study to explore the behaviour of ski tourists. The objective was to understand if ski tourists behave differently in the Himalayan settings concerning skiing destination choice factors with satisfaction and loyalty compared to similar resorts worldwide. The study found that skiing destination choice factors positively impact tourist satisfaction and loyalty, while tourist satisfaction was found to impact loyalty. The study's main contribution lies in establishing the choice factors of ski tourist destinations in the Indian region and the relationship between ski tourism destination factors and tourist satisfaction and loyalty. Finally, unlike other analyzed examples from European and other ski resorts worldwide, sustainability is not a decisive factor in the selection, satisfaction, and loyalty of tourists in Gulmarg resort.