Tourist activity on the shores: interferences, particularities and the quality of food and beverage services on Ponta Negra beach, Natal/RN, Brazil.

Abstract

The quality of Food and Beverage (F&B) services is an important factor in tourist satisfaction. Understanding the diversity of interferences and particularities through tourism on the coast, the objective of this study was “identifying how tourists evaluate the food and beverage services offered on Ponta Negra beach, in Natal/RN”, and specific objectives: knowing the profile of tourists who frequent Ponta Negra beach; understand, from the tourists' point of view, the quality (commercial, tangible and intangible) of the beach's food and beverage services; and propose, based on such perceptions, recommendations for better management of F&B services establishments on Ponta Negra beach. The research used data triangulation, with emphasis on the quantitative approach, with a sample of 172 tourists who responded to a questionnaire with 22 questions, one of the criteria to participate was having consumed the F&B services offered on the beach, local of this study. To analyze the data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22.0, was used. Regarding the profile of those investigated in the research, the majority were young people and adults, with a predominance of family income above three salaries per month, with representation from all regions of Brazil. Tourists, in general, gave notes between 07 and 08 (41.86%), 09 and 10 (44.76%) for the quality of services offered by F&B establishments. The results indicated that all variables (commercial, tangible and intangible) that make up the quality dimension presented favorable average values, indicating a positive level of agreement with the services provided in Ponta Negra. It is recommended that F&B establishments be better monitored, assisted and included in participatory, integrated and responsible planning actions, towards efficient tourism management on Ponta Negra beach.