An investigation into customer satisfaction levels in the budget accommodation sector in Scotland: a case study of backpacker tourists and the Scottish Youth Hostels Association

This research note reports a summary of the results of a survey carried out with the support of the Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA). The focus of this research was to gain a better understanding of the requirements of budget accommodation users in Scotland, the characteristics associated with their accommodation choice and the levels of importance and satisfaction associated with the main Scottish provider of budget accommodation (SYHA).The research reported in this note is part of a wider study which focuses on a particular tourist segment commonly known as “backpackers” who are also defined in the specialist literature as “independent travellers”, “youth/budget tourists” and “uninstitutionalised tourists” (Loker-Murphy & Pearce, Ann. Tourism Res. 22(4) (1995) 819–843; Elsrud, Ann. Tourism Res. 28(3) (2001) 597–617; Murphy, Ann. Tourism Res. 28(1) (2001) 50–67; Uriely, Yonay, & Simchai, Ann. Tourism Res. 29(2) (2002) 520–538).