Assessment and Comparison of the Attractiveness of the City of Katowice and Ustron Health Resort in the Opinion of Tourists.

Abstract

Purpose. The objective of the study is to assess and compare tourists’ perceptions of destination quality attractiveness and their quality of experience, satisfaction and behavioural intentions at two diverse tourism destinations (Katowice, an urban destination and Ustroń, a health resort). Method. The diagnostic survey method as well as a questionnaire were used to collect the data. A total of 400 tourists were surveyed, 200 in Katowice and 200 in Ustroń. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. Findings. Higher ratings were observed in Ustroń (a health resort) than in Katowice (an urban destination) for all but one of the studied indicators. The only indicator in which Katowice scored higher than Ustroń was the destination’s variety of attractions and facilities. Statistically significant differences between the two destinations were found for all indicators studied except for two: tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Research and conclusion limitations. The study was cross-sectional and only two diverse destinations were examined. Future longitudinal replication studies are needed for other types of tourism destinations. Practical implications. The research results may be useful in developing strategies for improving destination attractiveness and competitiveness. Originality. This is the first study in which two tourism destinations with different characteristics are compared in order to establish whether the type of destination may determine tourists’ perceptions of destination attractiveness, in terms of destination quality, as well as tourists’ perceptions regarding the quality of their experience, satisfaction and behavioural intentions. As such, the study contributes to extending knowledge on perceived destination attractiveness. Type of paper. An article presenting the results of empirical research.