How To Improve Tourist Satisfaction in Agricultural Regions: The Case of Olive Oil Tourism

Tourists are increasingly interested in visiting unique destinations, which allow them to connect with local communities and experience the local culture. In this context, tourism based on olive oil is becoming a tourist activity that offers great potential for the development of agricultural regions. This paper analyzes how olive oil tourism experiences can be improved in order to generate high levels of satisfaction and value for tourists. To that end, a survey was administered to 389 tourists who visited a destination to engage in activities related to olive oil tourism. Then, an fsQCA analysis was applied to identify the different combinations of the key dimensions on which the producing areas should focus, in order to design experiences aimed at enhancing tourist satisfaction. Finally, a series of conclusions are drawn that are relevant for both academia and for the management of such destinations, where the quality of the EVOO and the staff training appear as the key factors for the satisfaction of this type of tourists or the promotion of complementary activities to lengthen the visit of the visitors, which would help stakeholders to design an adequate offer to maximize the satisfaction of tourists by focusing on the quality of the EVOO and the staff.