Division of customer retention activities between DMO and lodging provider: Insights from the basis of repurchase intention likelihood

This paper contributes to conceptualizing the division of tasks between DMO and lodging provider with regard to customer retention measures, based on the stated likelihood of visitor's intention for a repeat trip as a (possible) result of their satisfaction with regard to (1) the offerings of a destination, (2) the chosen accommodation and (3) the overall trip, differenti-ated according to the number of previous trips taken to a given destination. On the basis of a comprehensive hypotheses model, numerous interrelations were measured by means of an OLS regression. The data used is representative for the case of leisure travel by the Swiss population, serving as a model for a well developed travel market. The results revealed a dominant role of the satisfaction from the services of the chosen accommodation, while the importance of the offerings of a destination rapidly loses significance as the number of repeat trip increases. Furthermore, overall trip satisfaction is linked more closely to the satisfaction from the services of a chosen accommodation. With regard to cus-tomer retention and measures increasing the likelihood return trips, these results imply a domi-nant role of the accommodation sector within the tourism industry. Key words: Quality, satisfaction, customer retention, hospitality industry.