Examining the relationship between tourist motivation and satisfaction by two competing methods

The relationship between tourist motivation and satisfaction has a long history of research, but continues to show contrary results. Based on two surveys on tourists undertaking a rafting activity while on holiday, the current study compares two approaches classified here as the Classic and Performance methods to clarify the relationship between motivation and satisfaction. The results of the Classic model which assumes a direct relationship between motivation and overall satisfaction show that motivation is not a significant determinant of overall satisfaction, if it is measured before the experience. In the Performance model, post experience motivation evaluation is introduced as the determinant of overall satisfaction. The results supported this proposition. A comparison of the models also reveals that the Performance model outperforms Classic model in terms of explaining overall satisfaction.