Insights into Communication Efficiency: Quality of Information and Traveler Satisfaction as Key Drivers in Examining Customer Experience

Purpose: The paper examines customer experience management in tourism, with an emphasis on travel as a specific form of consumer experiences. The quality of the customer experience becomes a key differentiating factor when choosing destinations and service providers, with information and digital technologies playing a crucial role. Design/Methodology: The paper combines theoretical and practical insights to demonstrate how the understanding of customer experiences in tourism and its components contribute to the systematic approach when finding optimal models for experience management and achieving the satisfaction. The theoretical part considers sources of information before, during, and after travel and it presents customer experience management models, such as the FICO and Forrester models. The empirical part is based on a survey whose aim is to examine ways of informing travelers about travel, the importance of different sources and formats of information, and the relationship between the level of preparedness and information and the level of experience measured by the level of customer satisfaction. Findings: Findings highlight key factors in travel decision-making, such as reliability, accuracy, availability and security of information, which encourage loyalty and strengthen the perception of destination identity. By reducing the gap between expectations and an actual value, through the quality of information and the application of innovative technological solutions, spatial and temporal convergence is enabled, better adaptation of the offer to the needs of travelers and finally harmonization of relations between service providers and users in distant markets. Practical Implications: Digital tools, such as reviews and online platforms, enable efficient co-creation of services, covering emotional and sensory components of the experience, and improving the customer experience quality. Originality/Value: The paper provides insights into how quality customer experience in tourism, supported by innovative digital tools and information sources, contributes to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, and offers a framework for improving relations between providers and users in a global tourism market.