A Conceptual Paper on the Dimensions of the Road Transport System that Influence Tourist Satisfaction

This is a conceptual paper to study the dimensions of road transport system that affect tourist satisfaction. The paper reviews the literature on transport and tourism, and analyses various dimensions of transport system such as accessibility, perceived quality, tourist expectations and perceived value. The study aims to determine which dimensions of the transport system affect tourist satisfaction. The dimensions outlined in the paper are analyzed using the theoretical framework of Oliver's Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory (1980). The model is appropriate for this inquiry because it allows an understanding of how tourist satisfaction is influenced. The literature search was conducted using online international journal databases in order to capture the wide range of published academic research in the field. Transport accessibility, perceived performance or quality, tourist expectations and perceived value are the dimensions of the road transport system identified and found in the transport tourism literature. The literature suggests that transport is an important element in tourism development, but fails to identify any specific causal relationship between transport system performance at the destination and tourist satisfaction. The paper ends with the recommendation that further research is needed to produce a better understanding and explanation as to which dimension affects tourist satisfaction, which will assist transport and tourism departments to improve and enhance tourist satisfaction.