Los vinos: la principal fuente de divisas hasta 1920 Hasta la segunda mitad del siglo xIx, la exportación de

Satisfied tourists can be a competitive advantage for an operator (Stanovcic, Moric, Pekovic & Perovic, 2013: 64). A team building operator who achieves participant satisfaction might create a positive relationship between him-/herself and the tourists. A positive costumer relationship offers significant benefits for an operator and the destination. Tourists who are satisfied and therefore become loyal towards the operator and/or destination represent an asset and contribute to their competitiveness for several reasons (Kim, Kim & Kim, 2009: 59).

Customer lifetime value can be a competitive asset for operators and destinations (Onditi, 2014: 244). The customer lifetime value is the remaining value of a tourist‟s relationship once the invested costs are subtracted. Benefits are the current value of profit and potential future revenue. Subtracting recruiting costs, costs to maintain the relationship and considering the timeframe of the relationship of gained benefits reflect the estimated value of a tourist (Kim, Kim & Sohn, 2009: 924). Maintaining a customer relationship consequently leads to increased revenue in comparison to profit from new tourists. An operator‟s survival depends significantly on his/her capability to sustain a positive relationship with the tourist (Kim et al, 2009: 924). Som et al (2012: 40) highlight the pivotal role of tourists‟ relationship with operators to gain economic benefits. These tourists tend to return/repurchase, increase revenue, possess higher

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price elasticity, require less marketing costs and possibly recruit new tourists through WOM (Viulet, 2008: 793; Jang & Feng, 2007: 587; He & Song, 2009: 318).

Onditi (2014: 237) indicates that the tie between tourist and operator and quality of an offering have a direct influence on tourists‟ lifetime value as those tourists tend to repurchase. Maintaining ties between operator and tourists has become the core of numerous business strategies (Jadhav & More, 2010: 184).Tourists who are in a long-term relationship with the operator are more likely to tolerant infrequent deficiency (Kim

& Ok, 2009: 240). A loyal tourist is less likely to terminate a long-term relationship with an operator/destination after engaging in an unsatisfying experience. New tourists are more prone to look for alternatives when expectations are not met.

Shoemaker and Lewis, in Som et al (2012: 39), Zhang et al (2014: 213) and Jang and Feng (2007: 587) emphasise marketing cost reduction in the case of loyal repeat tourists. Maintaining repeat visitors is notably cost-effective compared to winning new tourist (Um et al, 2006: 1142; Jang & Feng, 2007: 580 & Zhang et al, 2014: 213). This leads to an increase in operators‟ profits (Som et al, 2012: 39). Costs can be reduced if team building operators can rely on repeat clients. Reaching new clients can be a mismanaged investment as these potential clients might not be interested in the offering. It is more likely that marketing costs for loyal customers are covered by the profit the company gains through their repurchase.

Satisfied tourists who return to a destination represent a reliable market for a destination and create a competitive advantage for destinations (Alegre & Cladera, 2009: 670). This is significantly beneficial for destinations which are mature and depend on repeat visits (Alegre & Cladera, 2009: 670; Jang & Feng, 2007: 580; Um et al, 2006, 1142 & Assaker et al, 2011: 890). On the one hand, a suitable destination for team building activities might struggle to compete with newer destinations as tourists look for novelty. On the other hand, loyal tourists are reluctant to try out a new destination as they are uncertain about their satisfaction with it. Tourists‟ loyalty can influence their churn rate (Zhang et al, 2014: 214). These benefits are only provided as long as the tourists are satisfied. Unsatisfied tourists will experience higher drive to switch to other operators/ destinations (Viulet, 2008: 796; Kim & Ok, 2009: 233). The profit from loyal tourists is likely to fluctuate less over time than the profit gained from new tourists who

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possibly do not return. Repeat visits can be the core of a destination‟s success and need to be encouraged.

Aktas et al (2009: 2) rate tourist satisfaction as the key component for successful tourist destinations and offerings. Satisfaction is a significant element in achieving prosperity and competitive advantage (Aktas et al, 2009: 2; Sardana, 2011: 97). A destination of which the attributes are perceived as satisfying will gain destination competitiveness (Della Corte et al, 2015: 41). Yoon and Uysal, in Khuong et al (2016: 85) highlight satisfaction as a vital component for successful destination marketing. Strategies need to be installed to achieve satisfaction and consequently increase competitive advantage (Khuong et al, 2016: 85). Tourists will choose a destination/offering where they can expect to be satisfied over a less satisfying alternative. Stakeholders need to focus on attributes which indicate a significant level of satisfaction and make them more appealing than other operators/destinations.

Della Corte et al (2015: 40) stress that satisfaction is a key element to predict an operator‟s overall performance. As highlighted above, quality and value lead to client satisfaction. Operators who can develop offerings which are perceived as valuable by the tourists have a competitive advantage (Sanches, Callarisa, Rodriguez & Moliner, 2006: 394). Perceived value can support competitive positioning of the offering/destination on the market (Meleddu et al, 2015: 160).

Team building participants‟ satisfaction with the offering is an indicator of a successfully executed activity. It can be assumed that the operator has a qualitative and valuable offering if the majority of team building participants are satisfied. This does not only show that satisfaction creates a competitive advantage, but it is the sign of a successful operator. Potential tourists will look for favourable operators/destinations to fulfil their requirements.

It is essential for operators to consider elements which impact tourists‟ satisfaction and implement these strategically in their offering (Della Corte et al, 2015: 47). Della Corte et al (2015:47) further ad that it is vital for the public and private sector to eliminate factors which lead to dissatisfaction. The collaboration of tourism stakeholders is pivotal to enhance tourists‟ satisfaction and gain competitive advantage (Della Corte et al,

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2015: 39). The host destination of a team build has to ensure a pleasant experience to achieve overall satisfaction. If the team build takes place at a game park which is difficult and time-consuming to reach because of ill-maintained roads, it might diminish the participants‟ satisfaction. The host destination and team building operator should collaborate to develop an overall satisfying offering. Operators who make use of the destination‟s catering service, for instance, might have to enquire about special requests for their participants.

Operators should consider elements which impact tourists‟ satisfaction and implement these strategically in their offering (Della Corte et al, 2015: 47). Team building operators can achieve a competitive advantage if they are aware of elements which satisfy and exceed participants‟ needs. Once they identify significant factors, they can modify/adapt their offering and focus primarily on these attributes. Pavlic et al (2011: 593) explain that each element of an offering and destination can contribute to a differentiation of offerings in comparison to competitors. The bond between operator and tourist should be established to the tourists‟ satisfaction (Pavlic et al, 2011: 593). Enhancing satisfying actions can be a significant advantage over competitors who are unable to tailor their activities to meet specific needs.