Abstract:

Abstract The main purpose of this study is to investigate the degree of importance of the criteria affecting undergraduate tourism students’ satisfaction towards both the department and the university they are studying. In this study, a qualitative research design was used. To collect the study data, face-to-face interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 16 tourism students studying at Gazi University (Turkey) and the University of Aveiro (Portugal). The data were analyzed using Best-Worst Method, which is a multi-criteria decision-making method. The results revealed five main criteria: 1) facilities and opportunities provided at the university level, 2) facilities and opportunities provided at the college/school level, 3) academic qualification, 4) overall achievement of the university and 5) achievement of the college/school. Among these five main criteria, “overall achievement of the university” was found to be the most important criterion for both universities’ students. Furthermore, the most important sub-criteria that universities should consider to increase the quality and thereby student satisfaction were found to be as follows: taking student feedback seriously, increasing students' employment prospects after graduation, being a university that stands out with its research, being a university known for its higher education quality, and international recognition.

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