IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM) e-ISSN: 2278-487X, p-ISSN: 2319-7668. Volume 23, Issue 8. Ser. VII (August 2021), PP 30-39 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/487X-2308073039 www.iosrjournals.org 30 | Page Assessment of Tourist Satisfaction: A Study on Shrine of Lalon Shah, Bangladesh. Sraboni Bagchi 1* , Shimul Ray 2 , S. M. Shahedul Alam 3 , Md. Ashikur Rahman Avi 4 Lecturer, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna, Bangladesh. 1,3,4 Assistant Professor, Department of Human Resource Management, Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. 2 *Corresponding Author; Email: sraboniiu73@gmail.com Abstract Though satisfaction is an important driver that influences tourists’ decision-making regarding destination selection and their revisits intention, the measurement of tourist satisfaction is mostly ignored in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims at assessing tourist satisfaction in the context of a developing country, Bangladesh. The shrine of Lalon Shah, a well-known and popular tourist destination in the southwestern part of Bangladesh is chosen as a case study. In addressing the research aim, this paper followed a quantitative research approach where data are collected using primary (questionnaire survey) and secondary (published literature) sources. The collected data are statistically analyzed. The findings confirm that tourists are moderately satisfied during their visit to the shrine of Lalon Shah. A number of issues related to tourists’ dissatisfaction are also identified in this paper. The paper concludes with some policy guidelines for the policy- makers of the tourism sector in Bangladesh. Keywords: Satisfaction, Tourist satisfaction, Tourism destination, Shrine of Lalon Shah, Bangladesh. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 19-08-2021 Date of Acceptance: 30-08-2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction Tourism is one of the world's fastest-expanding sectors (Muneem et al., 2020). Tourism generates jobs, reduces poverty, improves the quality of life, generates foreign exchange revenues, and stimulates economic growth and many more (WEF, 2017). Revenue generated from this sector matches or even exceeds that of oil exports, food items, and automobiles, and thus it has grown to be one of the most important actors in international trade and one of the primary sources of revenue for many developing nations (UNWTO, 2021; WTTC, 2020). According to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2020), in 2019, the travel and tourism industry accounted for 10.3 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 330 million jobs, or 10.4 percent of overall employment. In Bangladesh, this industry contributed 2.7 percent to the GDP and created 1859.4 thousand jobs accounting for 2.9 percent of overall employment in 2019 (WTTC, 2021). From 2009 to 2019, Bangladesh's tourist industry was worth over 500 billion Bangladesh Taka (BDT), with total revenue of USD 1157 billion. Each year, 550,000 visitors visit Bangladesh, resulting in the employment of 2.23 million people (Hossain & Wadood, 2020). The number of tourists' arrival in a tourism destination reflects that destination's economic development (Huete-Alcocer et al., 2019). The number of tourist arrival depends on the tourists' satisfaction as a satisfied tourist revisits the tourism destination again and again, and also encourages others to visit the destination, and vice-versa (Pearce & Moscardo, 1981). Though satisfaction is an important driver that influences tourists’ decision-making regarding destination selection and their revisits intention, the measurement of tourist satisfaction has received little attention in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a land of immense natural beauty. Bangladesh features a wide range of tourist attractions with enthralling natural views and wonders. Sea beaches, river ports, waterfalls, mountains, seaports, mangrove forests, tea gardens, safari parks, roadside green vistas, and eco-parks are among the tourism attractions (Muneem & Avi, 2017). Historical sites, shrines, religious monuments, military museums, zoos, children's parks, and entertainment parks are among the other tourist attractions (Hossain & Wadood, 2020). The southwestern region of Bangladesh, mostly the Khulna Division, is blessed with many tourism destinations. Among all the destinations in the southwestern region; Sundarbans (World's largest mangrove forest), Sixty Dome Mosque (popularly known as Shat Gombuj Masjid; one of the most beautiful mosques in South Asia), Sagardari (known as MadhuPolli; home of Poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta), Shilaidaha Kuthibari (Residence of Rabindranath Tagore), and Shrine of Lalon Shah (known as Lalon Shah Mazar; the Grave of Baul Saint