Introduction

In the Sanskrit literature, three famous words, “Atithi Devo Bhava,” means “the guest is truly god,” is a dictum of hospitality in India. According to the World Economic Forum, India got 34th rank in Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report in 2020. The Tourism sector is the chief informant of foreign exchange for the country. In March 2020, FTAs were 328,462 compared to 978,236 in March 2019, showing a  − 66.4 percent decrease. Foreign tourist arrivals in March 2018 was 10.26 lakh, up from 9.05 lakh in March 2017, indicating a 13.4% increase. There were 31.27 lakh in January-March 2018, up from 28.45 lakh in January–March 2017, representing a 9.9% increase. Tourism's economic importance in India supports the people who live in and around tourist destinations. The Natural Tourism Board and the Tourism Finance Corporation of India have been working tirelessly to upgrade India's tourism destinations. “Rajput country” is how Rajasthan is known. Rajasthan is India's newest and the most fashionable tourist destination. Historical Monuments are well-known there. Warm hospitality is the gold standard in modern Rajasthan tourism. Western Rajasthan is a part of the Thar desert (60% of the desert). The economy of this area is considered underdeveloped and backward. But since the past two decades, tourist arrival and development of the tourist industry in this area have become a major source of income for the native population. Rajasthan is also recognized as popular for its camel ride sand rich in tradition, culture, and exponents of Rajasthani art and music. Rajasthan is known for folk music worldwide, and the festivals and fairs demonstrate the richness of the cultural and traditional heritage.

Furthermore, the so-called end user of a tourist product creation is an overseas visitor. A comprehensive study's findings on people's perceptions and satisfaction levels with certain tourist products might be utilized as a guide for improved planning. It's also a useful tool for mapping out a destination's market segmentation.

Literature Review

To begin, it is critical to trace and evaluate past research on the topic at hand. It is exposed that the tourism market in Rajasthan's desert triangle has a number of distinct features.

Tourist Satisfaction

According to central inflection of any business operation is satisfaction. Satisfaction is the main pointer of destination performance [1,2]. In the current scenario, service providers and tourism destinations must pay attention to tourist satisfaction because of fast competitive changes.

Oliver [3] defined satisfaction as the client's overall cognitive or affective reaction to product use, as well as the tourist's ability to judge whether a product/service offers a satisfying degree of consumption-related fulfillment.

Customer satisfaction is regarded as “psychological notion that involves the feeling of well being and satisfaction that results from obtaining what one expects and hopes from an attractive product or service”[4].

According to Sini [5], the level of satisfaction of domestic and international visitors who visited Kerala Beaches was investigated by the researcher and the result revealed that domestic and international travelers depends on transportation facility, travel guidance, etc. The researcher also suggested that all facilities need to be improved to retain the domestic as well as foreign tourists. According to Okello and Grasty [6], tourist satisfaction can be high due to reducing customer complaints and increasing the number of repeat visitations, which are likely to undermine the organization’s reputation. According to Woodruff and Jenkins [7], satisfaction is defined as a comparison of experiences with performance expectations. Tribe and Snaith [8], tourist satisfaction is a function between expectation and experience. When expectations are considered higher than experience, then tourists will feel bad. On the other side, if the perceived experience exceeds expectations, tourists will feel pleased/happy. When a tourist's appraisal of a destination's characteristics surpasses their expectations for those elements, it is called tourist satisfaction. [9], tourist satisfaction was shown to be directly impacted by cleanliness and amenities, destination image, support services, and security. [10]; the study revealed that service quality directly affects tourist satisfaction throughout destination accessibility, destination attraction, and destination facilities. Canny [11], the quality of service showed a strong positive association with visitor satisfaction and future behavioral intentions, according to this study. Tribe and Snaith [8], the study showed that HOLSAT utilizes and measures tourist satisfaction with a holiday destination by comparing the performance of holiday attributes against customer expectation. This model is adaptable enough to fit a variety of situations.

Meanwhile, something Alegre and Garau [12] observed in their "Tourist Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction" study is worth highlighting. The researchers discovered that some visitors' tourists' discontent is represented as a negative assessment on a study variable, and they trace the relationship between satisfaction ratings and dissatisfaction in tourism. In order to answer the study questions, it is also important to evaluate the international visitor profile and satisfaction, as well as the contentment of tourists. As a result, the characteristics and typology of foreign travelers drive tourism market segmentation. The administration and growth of a tourism destination are also influenced by the varied profiles of travelers. The tourists' profile, according to Mill and Morrison [13], includes social-economic and demographic characteristics connected to regional variables, as well as psychographic variables relevant to tourism market segmentation. Some researcher also used the psychographic variable to split visitors into groups based on their psychographic features.

Measuring Tourist Holiday Satisfaction

There is the number of instruments and some studies which have been done to evaluate the tourist holiday satisfaction level. Research methods which have been developed to analyze the concepts are:

  • Importance-Performance Analysis [14]

  • SERVQUAL [15]

  • SERVPERF [16]

  • HOLSAT [8]

According to Tribe and Snaith [8], the Importance-Performance Analysis upholds Oliver [17] and Churchill et al. [18]’s confirmation/disconfirmation notion, and empirical research shows that customer pleasure is a combination of both expected and actual performance [14]. According to Parasuraman et al. [15], the SERVQUAL measures the difference between customer expectations and perceptions of the service received, and it has been roundly denounced for its inherent bias toward dissatisfaction [8]. Recent studies reveal that tourists and their behavior are always interesting and related to the satisfaction level and become one particular study object while they are on a trip.

Holiday Satisfaction Model

In its simplest form, a vacation is a series of consumer happiness and events. One of the most important contributions to the study of tourist satisfaction is Tribe and Snaith's Holiday Satisfaction model, and this model varies from other well-known models such as IPA and SERVQUAL [19]. The Holiday Satisfaction model is created by examining visitors' expectations before to performing actions at a place and comparing them to their degree of satisfaction after their trip is complete. According to Tribe and Snaith [8], satisfaction is characterized by the relationship of expectations and experiences of destination attributes. Since it does not contain set characteristics that are generic to all destinations, this instrument has tremendous potential.

This HOLSAT model, according to Tribe and Snaith [8], referenced by Truong et al. [19], deals with travelers' expectations (evaluated before arrival at the location) and experience (customers’ real degree of pleasure after the holiday). According to Omar et al. [20], the study used the HOLSAT model to assess the gap between expectations and experiences of holiday characteristics in Penang, Malaysia, and showed that international and local visitors had similar levels of satisfaction and discontent.The findings for attributes like food and tourists’ services should be of concern to tourism service providers because they need to be built upon in order to boost tourists' overall satisfaction in a positive way.

Todorovic, Nikola et al. [21]. In his study, the researcher used the HOLSAT model and compares tourists’ expectations and experience regarding destination attributes in Belgarde. The destination image influences tourists’ expectations. The author found that HOLSAT may be used for destination image research and tourist satisfaction, and positive components are related to the destination’s affordability; negative attributes are related to safety, cleanliness.

The researcher, Slack [22], constructed a modified HOLSAT model to study international tourists' expectations and experiences of a holiday destination in Fiji to assess tourists' positive and negative aspects of the vacation location. International visitors were happy with some of the amenities, according to the survey, and the causes that cause discontent must be thoroughly studied by the authorities. Sharma Swati et al. [23], the researcher examined holiday satisfaction of inbound tourists to India and explored the role of incredible India Campaign in holiday satisfaction. The result revealed that information centers attributes showed positive relationship while overall satisfaction was found to be negative that required prompt action in Delhi NCR.

The Holiday Satisfaction model (HOLSAT) also differs from previous models; in that, the characteristics and assessed elements are not uniform. However, they are adaptable and location-specific, implying that the HOLSAT model may be utilized in a variety of locations.

Tourist Expectation

According to Quach [24], the expectation is the state to anticipate the probability of certain tourism attributes of a specific tourism destination. More specifically, according to Zeithaml et al. [25], tourist expectation is a pre-examination belief about a product against which product performance is judged.

Tourist expectation is described as a combination of design parameters that might take the form of an ideal or desired performance in the tourism sector [26]. Despite the fact that there is a discrepancy between what tourists expect and what they get, as well as a complicated reaction to intangible and physical tourism bundles of services, tourist expectation is still connected with credible tourism products [27].

Tourist Experience

The visitor experience is being re-imagined. A balanced shift might lead to a better understanding of the tourist experience, which is generally seen via the academic lens [28]. Neuhofer et al. [29], revealed that tourist experience considered as a destination's total consuming experience. According to [30], sight, taste, and sound, as well as sensory marketing, may enhance a tourist's experience at the destination. Tourism authorities can help create a welcoming environment that will enhance the chance of positive and memorable tourist experiences [31].

Future Behavioral Intention

In the 1970s and 1980s, the ultimate aim of marketing campaigns was to achieve a high degree of satisfaction, but today, behavioral intentions are thought to be a stronger predictor of success [32]. Customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions are not synonymous, but they are linked because customer satisfaction will reinforce a customer's decision to utilize a certain brand of service on a specific occasion [33]. Canny [11], investigated that the tourist satisfaction has a positive impact on future behavioral intention, according to a study that looked at the relationship between service quality, tourist satisfaction, and future behavioral intention. The higher rate of satisfaction will lead to a higher possibility of performing future behavioral intentions. The researcher recommended that providing a training program for tour guides will lead to a positive effect on service quality.

There are lots of valuable studies that have been conducted to identify the tourists’ satisfaction by using the HOLSAT model in different countries; it is evident that quite a good number of researches were conducted on these issues in various countries across the world.

However, studies specific to the Indian context and more so desert triangle of Rajasthan tourism were conspicuous by their absence. As a result, systematic study is needed to address this gap in the understanding of foreign visitor satisfaction using a modified holiday satisfaction model (HOLSAT) in the context of Rajasthan. Thus, this study will seek to evaluate the holiday satisfaction by using the modified HOLSAT model in general. The purpose of this study is to assess the satisfaction of foreign tourists in Rajasthan's desert triangle. The following questions arise in the researcher’s mind:

  • What are the different attributes of tourism services that need to be improved by the Government of Rajasthan so that international tourists become satisfied with these attributes of tourism services in the desert triangle of Rajasthan?

  • How tourist holiday satisfaction dimensions affect future behavioral intentions of international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan?

Research Objectives

  1. 1.

    To find out the travel expectations and travel experiences of international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan.

  2. 2.

    To analyze the influence of international tourist satisfaction on future behavioral intentions.

Research Hypotheses

H01: There is no significant difference between travel expectations and travel experiences of international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan.

H02: There is no significant influence of international tourist satisfaction on future behavioral intentions.

Research Methodology

The present research is empirical and based on original data gathered through a structured questionnaire modified HOLSAT model from international tourists. The research samples were determined by non-probability (judgmental sampling) sampling techniques. The chance of someone being a responder varies, according to this study [34]. In this study, judgemental sampling (non-probability sampling approach)was used, which is a method of obtaining samples that is customized to the research goals [35]. Slovin devised a method to determine the total number of samples in this study [36]. The margin of error is 5%, and the sample size would be 384 respondents, but the researcher received a sample of 483 international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan. More than 500 questionnaires were distributed to international tourists, but only 483 completely filled-in and corrected questionnaires were received, making the sample size of this study. The researcher tested the scale's internal accuracy by using reliability analysis and find out the score of each scale is more than 0.70, which is acceptable as per recommendations/suggested by [37]. The researcher tested the overall travel expectations scale and overall travel experiences scale on eighteen items and secured 0.726 and 0.714 Cronbach's alpha coefficient score.

The first section of the questionnaire was intended to gather information on the respondent's socio-demographic profile and trip characteristics. The second section of the questionnaire contained eighteen questions based on travel expectations and travel experiences. On a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree, international visitors were asked to rate each of the five attributes. For descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, including the paired t-test, correlation, and basic regression analysis, SPSS-22 was used. This original Holiday Satisfaction Model instigated by [8] was adopted and modified for the present study. The attributes for Rajasthan's desert triangle were picked after analyzing data from a previously constructed basic model as well as a variety of other sources including the travel literature, personal experience. For this study, both positive and negative attributes were chosen. A panel of tourism stakeholders, including tourism officials, and tourist attraction representatives, conducted the content validity procedure. The 18 attributes selected were divided into five categories: accessibility, amenities, accommodation, activities, and attractions. In the present study, the number of attributes is reduced from 56 to 18 in compared to the previous scale.The instrument was prepared in English language only. The questionnaires were filled out by tourists themselves, and a total of 483 questionnaires were collected. The responses were coded and maintained in a database. Following that, statistical analysis in SPSS was performed. T-tests were used to see if expectations and experiences about each destination attribute differed significantly. The survey instrument, which was based on the HOLSAT model's major elements, was designed to assess tourist satisfaction with the desert triangle of Rajasthan holiday aspects. Several aspects mentioned in the original model were deleted throughout the instrument's development. Attributes that were only considered significant to the desert triangle of Rajasthan tourism were used.

Results and Discussion

This part shows the consequence of the questionnaire recorded by international tourists. The data were interpreted from a filled questionnaire that depicts tourist satisfaction and their future behavioral intentions results.

Demographic Information of International Tourists

Demographic information of the 483 international tourists who visit desert triangle of Rajasthan (Table 1) shows that majority were females (n = 252, 52.2%) followed by males (n = 231, 47.8%), and were mainly in the age group 25–34 years (n = 175, 36.2%), below 25 years (n = 103, 21.3%). Most of the international tourists were from other category (n = 179, 37%) and from business people background (n = 140, 29.0%) followed by student category (n = 100, 20.7%). The educational level attained by international tourists was mainly graduate (n = 192, 39.8%). The most international tourists were single (n = 293, 61%), and the primary purpose of their visit to the desert triangle of Rajasthan was mainly for leisure (n = 422, 87.4%).

Table 1 Demographic Information of International Tourists
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For most of the international tourists, this was their first visit (n = 387, 80%) to the desert triangle of Rajasthan, and their traveling style was mainly independent (n = 390, 80.7%), and international tourist stayed at the destination more than five days (n = 251, 52%) followed by two-five days (n = 158, 32.7%).

Hypothesis Testing

H01: There is no significant difference between travel expectations and travel experiences of international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan.

For testing major hypothesis H01, paired t-test was used to evaluate the data using the ratings of international tourist's travel expectations and travel experiences at a significance level of 0.05.

Table 2 shows the mean scores of travel experiences and travel expectations from international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan. Table 3 shows the result of paired t-test between Experiences and Expectations of Variables. The mean paired difference between actual travel experiences (P) and Pre-trip travel expectations (E) of variables is positive (0.21072). The obtained t- value is (2.574) at right-tailed, which shows that the difference between experiences and expectations is significant (0.020). It reveals a significant difference between travel experiences and travel expectations of international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan. Hence, from the positive t-value, the international tourists are satisfied from the sampled places of the desert triangle of Rajasthan.

Table 2 Mean scores of actual travel experiences and pre-trip travel expectations from international tourists visiting the desert triangle of Rajasthan
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Table 3 Result of paired t-test between experiences and expectations of variables
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H02: There is no significant influence of international tourist satisfaction on future behavioral intentions.

To test the H02, the researcher administered correlation analysis to measure the relationship between tourist satisfaction and future behavioral intentions. To check the statistical significance of correlation analysis, the researcher used a t-test (Tables 4, 5, 6, 7).

Table 4 Correlations coefficients between tourist satisfaction and future behavioral intentions
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Table 5 Simple regression model for hypothesis H02
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Table 6 ANOVA (analysis of variance) for hypothesis H02
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Table 7 Coefficients
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Predictor tourist satisfaction had a significant positive correlation (0.306) with dependent variable future behavioral intentions, as seen in table.

In addition, as shown below, the values in the "B" column of the "Unstandardized Coefficients" column can be used by the researcher.

The influence of tourist satisfaction (b = 0.486, p = 0.000) is significant, and its coefficient is positive, indicating that the greater the holiday satisfaction, the greater the future behavioral intentions. This can be summarized as follows:

$$Y = \alpha + \beta X$$

Here Y = Future Behavioral Intentions (FBI), α = constant, X = Holiday Satisfaction.

To present the regression equation as:

$${\text{Future Behavioral Intentions }}\left( {{\text{FBI}}} \right) \, = 2.589 \, + { 0}.486 \, \left( {\text{Holiday Satisfaction}} \right)$$

Conclusion

Tourism contributes significantly to the country's economy. The tourism sector is a major source of foreign currency earnings. The researcher examined tourist satisfaction and conducted a survey using Tribe and Snaith's Holiday Satisfaction (HOLSAT) model [8]. The result of this research explored the satisfaction and dissatisfaction level of international tourists by considering various aspects and attributes of Rajasthan's desert triangle as a tourist destination. In the present investigation, extensive information was gathered from actual travel experiences and international tourists' pre-trip travel expectations. The data interpretation showed that the international tourists have a positive impression of Rajasthan's desert triangle and their travel experience within the state.

This method of determining international tourist satisfaction in Rajasthan's desert triangle reveals that, on the whole, foreign tourists are delighted with the region's attributes such as activities, accessibility, amenities, and accommodation. The HOLSAT approach was used to calculate the mean of expectation and experience in this study, and the results show that the attraction component, accessibility, and activities are perceived as the best elements, resulting in satisfaction for international visitors. The study also shows that the majority of international tourists will recommend, revisit, and say positive things about this destination.The overall holiday satisfaction analysis of the desert triangle of Rajasthan revealed that 12 out of 18 holiday attributes showed statistically significant positive differences between pre-trip travel expectations and actual travel experiences, suggesting that international tourists’ actual travel experiences had been exceeded and they were delighted and satisfied with the performance experienced. These attributes are (16, 2, 12, 6, 15, 7, 1, 5, 10, 14, 13, and 4) from the modified HOLSAT scale of this research.

The analysis suggests that six out of eighteen holiday attributes showed statistically significant negative differences between pre-trip travel expectations and actual travel experiences, implying that international tourists’ pre-trip travel expectations had not met with the perception were dissatisfied with the performance experienced. Attributes that provide dissatisfaction to international tourists are hotels building and layout was not visually pleasing; tourists could not get rented a bicycle or motorcycle and go sightseeing. The international tourists' observations also suggested that there were many beggars at the different places in the destination. Tourists are viewed as an easy method for street sellers and beggars to generate money on a local level. As a result, international tourists' worst experience in Rajasthan's desert triangle was being harassed by beggars. The problem of beggars and street sellers must be addressed immediately in order to improve the comfort and pleasure of international tourists visiting Rajasthan's desert triangle. Immigration and customs clearance were likewise inefficient and sluggish. Tourists have also complained about the absence of public restrooms. At some points of destination, there were also shortages of some food or freshwaters. Rajasthani cuisine is another significant aspect of the country.

In many cases, the culinary adventure was the highlight of their vacation. However, some international tourists experienced shortages of some food or fresh waters at some points of destination. To avoid these issues, the hotel sector will need to take preventative steps including improved food handling and higher food and drink quality.

The attractiveness of locations among young and educated travelers may be used to plan the growth of the tourism sector. This investigation is meant to be the start of a more in-depth investigation on international tourist satisfaction in Rajasthan's desert triangle. Furthermore, the outcomes of this research will aid the Rajasthan tourism industry in terms of promotional strategy and service improvement. Developing a positive image of Rajasthan in the worldwide market is just as important as providing a pleasant experience and forming a destination image in the eyes of international travelers. International tourists should be satisfied, according to local officials. This study scope is focused on analyzing tourist satisfaction, revisiting, and recommendation intention of tourists who visit and have experienced tourism activity in the desert triangle of Rajasthan.