Hidden Danger in Tourism: Examining Value Co-Destruction through Customer Complaints

Abstract

This study aims to analyze value co-destruction in the tourism sector through customer complaints. The research is based on a qualitative content analysis of 589 customer complaints obtained from the Şikayetvar.com website. The complaints encompass negative interactions between various stakeholders, such as tour guides, travel agencies, accommodation providers, and bus drivers. The analysis results indicate that the main causes of customer dissatisfaction include poor organization, communication breakdowns, hygiene issues, and unprofessional behavior by staff. These findings show that the key factors reducing service quality are organizational inefficiencies and employee conduct. Specifically, tour guides' lack of attention and information, travel agencies' poor organization and communication issues, hygiene deficiencies in accommodation, and bus drivers' safety violations lead to significant dissatisfaction in the customer experience. The research highlights the importance of service providers in the tourism sector utilizing digital complaint management systems and customer experience monitoring technologies to achieve sustainable success. Furthermore, cultural awareness and sustainability practices play a critical role in better meeting customer expectations.