Tourism: destination loyalty - Essay Example

Case in point is India, where the emergence of international chains of hotels have increased and even boosted the tourism industry and increased tourist loyalty (Luring Tourists, Tatas Way, 2003). The result is the change that is experienced around the world regarding tourism, that is the globalization of the tourist industry with help of hotel industry (Luring Tourists, Tatas Way, 2003). With the reduction in the rates of destinations and tours, increase in loyalty cards and other tourist attractions and various bank incentives such as travel points etc.

the challenge to maintain customer loyalty is not an easy task. Destination loyalty has been defined as “the level of tourist’s perceptions of a destination as a recomedable place” (Chen and Gursoy, 2001, pp 80). While there are many theoretical assumptions made about ways to maintain tourist loyalty, the facts remain far more complicated (Environmental Impacts of Tourism, nd, np). The global situations in safety, prices, economic instability and travel and visa complications have reduced the once so popular industry (Valle et al, 2006).

Environmental issues and the rise in the natural calamities have influenced the tourism industry tremendously. These include natural disasters such as droughts and volcanos, earthquakes and landslides and hurricanes etc. The climatic changes are not to be ignored in the tourism industry (Environmental Impacts of Tourism, nd, np). The decrease in the snowfall rates can lead to a shorter season of winter tourism and destinations. The damage to the coral reefs can also lead to a decrease in the number of tourists heading there.

This in turn affects the customer loyalty, for without the presence of good environmental scenery, the tourists will not be interested in taking another trip (Environmental Impacts of Tourism, nd, np). Now mostly, tourism has been overcome by business purpose travel, compared to holiday travel. However, there is still a big market for holiday