Emotional and Cognitive Drivers of Customer Satisfaction in Adventure Travel

Abstract

Customer satisfaction has become the critical outcome variable in tourism where traveler experiences become electronic word of mouth (eWOM) for future visitors, yet the drivers of customer satisfaction in adventure travel are not well established in academic literature. This study relies on both qualitative and quantitative measures to examine visitor perceptions at a wild animal reserve to determine drivers of customer satisfaction in adventure travel. The theoretical framework extends Oliver's expectation disconfirmation theory to this new and growing sector that differs in that consumers are seeking out unexpected experiences in their travel adventures. This research addresses the role of expectations in a context where customers are seeking the unexpected. This work also incorporates Russell's circumplex theory of affect to illustrate the importance of achieving a positive, high activation state on the path to customer satisfaction. Findings indicate that perceptions of novelty, value, conservation focus, authentic cultural experience, and freedom of exploration are drivers of customer satisfaction, but perceptions of tranquility and the presence of animals are not. Results imply that the desire to seek animals or tranquil settings motivate the desire to book an adventure travel experience, but satisfaction with the experience itself will require the delivery of experiences that are undiscovered, unexpected, and go beyond consumers' preconceived notions. These novel experiences produce the high activation and positive disconfirmation that drive customer satisfaction in this unique travel context.