TY - JOUR

T1 - Social-ecological factors influencing tourist satisfaction in three ecotourism lodges in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon

AU - Torres-Sovero, Claudia

AU - González, José A.

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Kirkby, Christopher A.

PY - 2012/6

Y1 - 2012/6

N2 - Analysing the factors that influence visitor satisfaction is critical for the appropriate management of tourism, particularly in nature tourism enterprises, which are expected to contribute to biodiversity conservation and the development of local people. In this paper, we investigate the effect of different socio-economic and ecological variables, as well as tourist-operation related factors, on the overall satisfaction of tourists visiting three Amazonian lodges in Peru. We found three typologies of tourists, differing by several socio-economic and cultural factors, and by their motivations. The quality of the lodge was the factor that had the largest influence on overall satisfaction. Only one type of tourists (" true ecotourists" ) showed a positive relation between their overall satisfaction and ecological features such as the species observed or cultural features such as operation of the lodge by native communities using local guides. Implications for management are discussed in terms of the potential of nature tourism to contribute to sustainable development in the Peruvian Amazon.

AB - Analysing the factors that influence visitor satisfaction is critical for the appropriate management of tourism, particularly in nature tourism enterprises, which are expected to contribute to biodiversity conservation and the development of local people. In this paper, we investigate the effect of different socio-economic and ecological variables, as well as tourist-operation related factors, on the overall satisfaction of tourists visiting three Amazonian lodges in Peru. We found three typologies of tourists, differing by several socio-economic and cultural factors, and by their motivations. The quality of the lodge was the factor that had the largest influence on overall satisfaction. Only one type of tourists (" true ecotourists" ) showed a positive relation between their overall satisfaction and ecological features such as the species observed or cultural features such as operation of the lodge by native communities using local guides. Implications for management are discussed in terms of the potential of nature tourism to contribute to sustainable development in the Peruvian Amazon.

KW - Ecotourism

KW - Lodge

KW - Peruvian Amazon

KW - Tambopata National Reserve

KW - Tourist satisfaction

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84455191891&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f738a2bc-2b1b-3e8f-a653-99d1c969b92f/

U2 - 10.1016/j.tourman.2011.06.008

DO - 10.1016/j.tourman.2011.06.008

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84455191891

VL - 33

SP - 545

EP - 552

JO - Tourism Management

JF - Tourism Management

SN - 0261-5177

IS - 3

ER -