Vol.:(0123456789) Social Indicators Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-2013-1 1 3 Measuring Tourist Satisfaction Through a Dual Approach: The 4Q Methodology Antonino Mario Oliveri 1  · Gabriella Polizzi 2  · Anna Maria Parroco 3 Accepted: 8 October 2018 © Springer Nature B.V. 2018 Abstract Tourist satisfaction is one of the key factors in determining the success of a tourist desti- nation, since it afects behavioural intentions, such as the willingness to revisit and rec- ommend the destination. Therefore, much research has addressed the measuring of tourist satisfaction, either eliciting positive or negative evaluations of a holiday or destination. The spread between expected positive and negative characteristics can trigger a tourist experi- ence. And the gap between expectations and perceptions will produce a feeling of satisfac- tion or dissatisfaction (Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm, EDP). Under these condi- tions, this paper adopts a dual approach, considering tourist satisfaction and dissatisfaction as two distinct constructs; it also proposes a practical methodology, termed 4Q, for meas- uring these constructs in the feld of tourism research. Lastly, two distinct composite indi- cators relating to Tourist Satisfaction (TS) and Tourist Dissatisfaction (TD) are proposed, for comparing the performance of tourist destinations over space and time, and addressing marketing strategies regarding diferent tourist segments. Keywords Tourist satisfaction/dissatisfaction (TS/TD) · Expectancy-disconfrmation paradigm (EDP) · Dual approach · 4Q methodology · Formative measurement · Composite indicators · Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) 1 Introduction To date, tourist satisfaction (TS) has been studied using a plethora of theoretical approaches and measurement models. And over time, attempts have been made to under- stand whether satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two extremes on a single continuum or * Antonino Mario Oliveri antoninomario.oliveri@unipa.it 1 Department Cultures and Societies, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Edifcio 15, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy 2 Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Università degli Studi di Enna “Kore”, Cittadella Universitaria, 94100 Enna, Italy 3 Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Edifcio 15, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy