Visitor experience at Viera y Clavijo Botanic Garden: satisfaction and loyalty antecedents

Abstract

The primary objective of this paper is to study how botanical gardens are experienced. Firstly, the study attempts to demonstrate how the senses shape visitor satisfaction and loyalty to the garden. Secondly, to gain new insights into the visitor experience, the study highlights the importance of information, emotions, social interactions, and behavioural responses. The survey was carried out through a structured questionnaire. The sample for this study included 373 respondents, contacted through non-probabilistic convenience sampling, in Botanical Garden Viera y Clavijo, in Gran Canaria. After checking the scale's validity with confirmatory factor analysis and the Alpha Cronbach test, the study performed a path analysis to test eleven hypotheses on the effect of sensory responses, emotions, information, social interaction and behavioural responses on visitor satisfaction and visitor loyalty as well as the direct relationship between visitor satisfaction and loyalty. The findings provide convincing evidence that satisfaction and loyalty show fundamentally different precursors. While the former relates to behavioural responses, social interactions and low-involvement senses such as hearing, the latter is formed by high-involvement senses such as smell and touch. However, both variables show the same emotional background, and neither is rooted in the information provided about the garden. Therefore, given the practical implications, the study suggests that botanical garden managers enrich peripheral routes of persuasion by emphasising emotional interventions over cognitive strategies. Management implications: • Gardens should offer visitors opportunities for free exploration along diverse trails with a variety of flora and fauna, which would encourage a positive attitude in visitors. • Garden managers should design environments that evoke emotions such as tranquillity, charm and love so that visitors have positive experiences on a deeper level. • Recognise the importance of social interactions with botanic garden staff, visitors and companies to further enrich the visitor's visit. • Garden managers must prioritise the sensory experience in the gardens. Visitor satisfaction is highly dependent on sensory factors, especially hearing. Ensure environments are calm, natural and noise-free to optimise satisfaction levels.