Academic Tourism and Transport Services: Student Perceptions from a Social Responsibility Perspective

Cláudia Miranda Veloso, Cícero Eduardo Walter, Bruno Sousa, Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira, Vasco Santos and Marco Valeri
Additional contact information
Cláudia Miranda Veloso: GOVCOPP, ESTGA, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Cícero Eduardo Walter: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Piauí, Teresina 64000-040, Brazil
Bruno Sousa: CiTUR, UNIAG, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave—IPCA, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal
Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira: GOVCOPP, Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Vasco Santos: ISLA Santarém, Santarém, Portugal and CiTUR, 2000-241 Leiria, Portugal
Marco Valeri: Faculty of Economics, Niccolò Cusano University, 00166 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: Firms aim at achieving their economic interests without neglecting the needs of local and regional communities and the environment itself. The process involves defining and implementing Social Responsibility strategies that leverage organizational competitiveness and sustainability. In this context, the current study purposes to demonstrate how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and a sustainable orientation influence the satisfaction and loyalty of academic tourists to the Metro of Porto (in Portugal). More specifically, our study aims to assess the satisfaction of academic tourists with the Metro of Porto and, additionally, to analyze the variables that determine the satisfaction and loyalty of these tourists to this specific transport company, which has never been achieved before. Our proposed research model seeks to determine how CSR and a sustainable orientation influence academic tourists’ loyalty to the Metro of Porto transport services as well as their link to Service Quality, Perceived Value, Corporate Image and Tourist Satisfaction. From a sample of 256 academic tourists, customers of the Metro of Porto, a quantitative analysis was carried out using the structural equation model (SEM-PLS). The results obtained allow us to conclude that CSR and Service Quality have an impact on academic tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty to the Metro of Porto. The development of a region is intrinsically linked to transport networks that promote the integration and growth of productive systems. Our results demonstrate the relationship between regional development and business sustainability strategies that integrate Social Responsibility practices. We show the importance that Social Responsibility policies have for companies as a precursor to customer satisfaction and loyalty to a company. Hence, as a guarantee of obtaining economic results, firms must simultaneously contribute to the sustainable development of territories.

Keywords: service quality; social responsibility; metropolitan transport; customer loyalty; academic tourism; sustainable orientation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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