Satisfaction and Loyalty to a Destination of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

Abstract

The aims of this study were to identify the relationship between the main indicators of the loyalty construct, verify the effects of behavioral and demographic variables on satisfaction and on those tourist loyalty indicators, and the relationship between satisfaction and these indicators. Beyond the theoretical reference, a research was carried out with 513 tourists of Curitiba city during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Data were collected from a structured questionnaire, by assistants researchers, and analyzed with χ2 tests, Contingency Coefficient and Spearman correlation. Besides other results, the research shows that indicators intention to return on destination and recommend it to others are statistically different and have low correlation between them; that satisfaction has a significant association with both indicators of loyalty; that although the number of visits has no statistical significance on satisfaction, prior knowledge has; and that Curitiba has important potential for leisure tourism. Managerial and academic implications are discussed at the end of the work.