A Study of Guest Loyalty Program Implementation Influence on Customer's Willingness to Recommend the Specific Hotel Brand

In the last few years, there has been a significant growth of the number and level of popularity of loyalty programs. Hotel brands use this tool to strengthen their competitive advantage in the hospitality industry market. Therefore, through building relationships with their patrons, the hotels attract new customers through their regular guests by the means of loyalty programs, thus trying to manage potential customer preferences. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of the loyalty program on customers' willingness to recommend the specific hotel brand. In accordance with the purpose of this study, the theoretical foundations of guest loyalty formation were analyzed. The research considers the factors accompanying this process and identifies the main determinants of the loyalty program. Based on the research findings, the study proposes a conceptual model, which tested the hypotheses that were put forward. The results reflect the close relationship and influence between factors in the model. Accordingly, based on the results of the study, conclusions were drawn about the impact of the loyalty program and potential recommendations, which can be useful for hotel brands and further research on this topic.