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Purpose -The purpose of the research is to conceptualize a model of tourist satisfaction at the destination level which can serve as a background for designing a universal, parsimonious, short and easily applicable measurement instrument.Design/methodology/approach -The conceptual model was developed on the basis of existing theoretical and empirical research in the fields of marketing and tourism.Findings -The model includes eight latent constructs, with tourist satisfaction being the central one. The analysis of the antecedents (quality, image, value, and costs and risks) of customer satisfaction provides insights into the processes underlying the creation of satisfaction, while the outcome constructs (complaint behavior and loyalty) indicate the consequences of (dis)satisfaction.Research limitations/implications -Designing a parsimonious and easily applicable measurement instrument imposes some limitations with respect to the number of constructs and measured variables included. The inclusion of additional constructs/variables should provide a more comprehensive insight into customer satisfaction and a more solid basis for strategic decision-making but at the same time it is likely to reduce the model's transparency and universality.Practical implications -The results of a continuous customer satisfaction monitoring should serve as an input for a trend analysis and strategic discussions regarding the development of a tourist destination. The ultimate goals of monitoring satisfaction include identifying strategic objectives at the destination level, preparing tactical and operational plans and ultimately increasing the competitiveness of a given destination.Originality/value -Achieving customer satisfaction should be one of the most important goals of every DMO and, to our knowledge, a few universal cause-and-effect measurement instruments/models have been developed to support this goal. The proposed model provides a basis for the continuous monitoring and improvement of the competitiveness of a given destination.

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the market orientation of Slovenian banks in order to identify critical areas as well as potential barriers to market orientation. In addition, it is expected that use of an adapted methodological approach will improve relevance of managerial implications.Design/methodology/approachA modified questionnaire for assessment of market orientation in the banking context is introduced, including a market culture dimension and focusing on manifest organizational activities. Market orientation was assessed on samples of Slovenian and European banks, comparing the gaps between the two, using a benchmarking principle.FindingsThe results confirm the expected lack of market orientation in Slovenian banks. The lag of Slovenian banks is significant for dimensions of marketing intelligence generation and intelligence dissemination, while it is insignificant on responsiveness and marketing culture dimensions. The results also show that Slovenian banks are weaker at formal than at informal (i.e. cultural) elements of market orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper explores the question of adapting a market orientation survey methodology to the specific context of banks in transitional markets. The small sample, however, restricts statistical examination of the validity, reliability and factorial structure of the measurement instrument.Practical implicationsStrategic and tactical activities in Slovenian banks are pointed out which require improvement efforts in order to become more strongly market‐oriented.Originality/valueThe paper fulfils an established need for comparative evaluation of the market orientation for banks in transitional markets. Methodologically, it builds on an expanded conceptualization of the construct and adapted measurement instrument that is focused on specific activities rather than on general managerial philosophy.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to theoretically and empirically explore tourist experiences with the niche-like, yet global phenomenon of escape room attractions. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory empirical study of visitors’ experiences with selected top-rated escape rooms in the USA and Europe was carried out by means of netnographic research and automated content analysis. Findings The results show that this attraction provides new, peak, unique and fun experiences through the challenging activities and social component of the game play. The findings provide an insight into both the authenticity of experiences with novel attractions and the group aspects of fun and flow concepts. Research limitations/implications The findings are restricted to online reviews on the TripAdvisor website and are possibly biased because of the use of a non-random sample. Practical implications Theoretical implications are discussed and explicated as future research questions. They are relevant for the conceptual development, research and management of playful experiences within urban and special interest tourism. Societal implications are also addressed. Originality/value This paper is a preliminary in-depth examination of the escape room phenomenon from the customer experience standpoint. It is of relevance for the conceptualisation and improvement of tourist experiences with new and fun attractions.