Destination Image of Swaziland: Perceptions of Local and International Tourists

Abstract

The government of Swaziland labelled the tourism industry as one of the national priority sectors that have maximum potential to stimulate economic growth through the creation of employment opportunities, poverty alleviation, and foreign income generation. The industry has given birth to several supporting business areas such as tour operators, travel agencies, new airport hotels, and restaurants. This study aimed to identify the antecedents of future behavioural intentions of tourists in Swaziland. Employing a quantitative approach, a hypothesized model was developed with the destination image as the predictor while satisfaction, attitude toward the destination, and trust in the destination being the mediators and behavioural intentions as the outcome. Non-probability sampling was used to sample both local and international tourists that visited Swaziland between August and October 2016. Tourists were interviewed at Mantenga Cultural Village, Swazi Candles, Ngwenya Glass, and departing tourists were interviewed at the Sikhuphe International Airport. A total of 431 tourists participated in the study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24 and Amos 24. The majority of tourists viewed Swaziland positively and were willing to recommend it as a travel destination. Additionally, tourists indicated that they had satisfactory experiences in Swaziland and trusted the destination.  Furthermore, the findings in this study show that there is a positive and significant relationship between the destination’s image and satisfaction. The study also revealed that satisfaction positively influenced tourists’ trust in the destination and their attitudes toward the destination.