Emotional Intelligence: A Critical Factor to Success in Tourist Relationship Management


  •  Javad Sofiyabadi    
  •  Abbas Karimi    
  •  Sakineh Noori Nasab    

Abstract

Given economic challenges in the recent years, various sectors of the economy has experienced major changes and for this reason, the Tourism Strategic Environment cannot be excluded from these challenges. The tourism has always a long association with human behavioral and emotional dimensions and it is one of the most fundamental human activities. Major part of the tourism literature is focused on the economic results and the positive role of tourism in employment, and exploitation of new opportunities; however, unfortunately, important and vital part of this kind of studies, namely “tourist” as the customer of the Tourism Services has always been neglected. Basic dimensions of emotional intelligence including; determinants of Self-awareness and self-management, Motivation, Social Skills, and Empathy have a direct relationship with human communications, so institutionalization and level increases of emotional intelligence in customer relationship team can be considered as an effective policy for long-term relationship with tourists. To promote tourist attraction rate, Customer relationship management as a business strategy has to boost fundamental factors of emotional intelligence. In this study, by using the Fuzzy AHP we identify and rank the importance of these factors/determinants in order to use them more effectively in Customer/tourists relationship management environment.


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