Examining international tourists' satisfaction with Hanoi tourism

Abstract

As the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi boasts itself of a rich culture, historical and traditional values that draw attention of many foreigners. There are enormous potentials for the tourism development, but the city still cannot attract as many tourists as expected due to the monotonous tourism services and products. Thus, the study was conducted to explore the relationship between the international tourists‟ initial expectations and their perceptions to examine their (dis-)satisfaction level with the current tourism destination attributes in Hanoi. By using the utility of mixed-method design as a data collection, the study contemporaneously analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data. In the quantitative research, the survey questionnaire was investigated the opinions and feedback from 246 foreign tourists who visited Hanoi in summer, 2012. The HOLSAT model was applied as a valuable tool to elaborate the (dis-)satisfaction of tourists at the destination. Additionally, it has been inspired by the face-to-face interview with seven tour operators to gain insights into the problems and contribution of their current business toward Hanoi tourism and international tourists to the city. Further, the research proposes some suggestions to improve the positive image of the city as an attracting tourist destination. These suggestions aim to improve the visitors‟ satisfaction and their willingness to revisit. Finally, the thesis would provide useful insights to local government and tour operators in better planning and managing tourism activities to maximize both visitors‟ satisfaction and profitability of tourism enterprises, and at the same time sustain natural resources in the long term.