Determining factors for tourist satisfaction in inland destinations: Impact on the depopulation problem

Abstract

Depopulation is currently a major problem in Spain, especially in inland areas. Tourism can help alleviate this problem. Therefore, competitive advantages must be enhanced by developing a capable and sustainable tourism model that can lead to the desired level of development in a given geographical area. A powerful decision-making and diagnostic tool was created for the tourism industry in the Burgos Province, Spain to identify the key factors in tourist satisfaction, which can influence the decision to recommend and revisit a destination. This study presents this tool and a theoretical model of tourism satisfaction. The findings emphasize the significance of the perception that tourists have of the quality of a destination's goods and services and its impact on satisfaction. Enhancing tourist satisfaction can have important implications for improving tourism management and, consequently, addressing the depopulation problem.

Keywords

• tourist satisfaction
• structural equation model
• depopulation
• tourist industry
• inland destinations