Visitors' satisfaction, perceptions and gap analysis: The case of Dadia-Lefkimi-Souflion National Park

The National Park of Dadia-Lefkimi-Souflion is one of the 27 protected areas of Greece, for which a management authority has been established. It is of major ecological value, due to the existence of a large number of birds of prey. Today, the protection status of the area does not exclude the continuation of human activities, particularly in relation to outdoor recreation activities. The present study was conducted with the use of a specially developed questionnaire, in order to examine visitors' satisfaction, regarding various factors. such as the region's natural characteristics, the level of service and the adequacy of the accommodation facilities for visitors. The relevant data was processed using the MUSA (Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis) methodology and the related software. The emerging results focus on identifying the factors affecting visitors' satisfaction level, as well as the critical points that the management authority of the National Park must concentrate its improvement actions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.