The Influence of Visitors’ Satisfaction on Expenditure Behaviour

This study analyses spending behaviour of international visitors to Italy. In specific it focuses on the impact that visitors’ satisfaction with different attributes of the trip exerts on expenditure among different service categories. Despite a general recognition by the economic literature that customer satisfaction exerts a positive effect on both economic returns and brand loyalty, very few academic studies explored the relationship between tourists’ satisfaction with a destination and spending behaviour. This study focuses on the 1,030 visitors who travelled to the provinces Bolzano, Trento, and Belluno (Northern Italy), an area around the Dolomites. The Double-hurdle model with the Heien and Wessells estimator is applied. Discussion of the empirical evidence is aimed at highlighting the main relations between expenditure behaviour and satisfaction. Policy implications and managerial issues for tourism destinations are also presented.