This paper examines the critical role that suppliers and services professionals play in the ability of Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs)to deliver consistent service levels. The research investigates customer satisfaction on the AmaWaterways Africa tour and the dependency of customer satisfaction on partner companies. Itextracts highly skilled staff, unexpected encounters and experiences that surpass customer expectations as critical factors to counter service breakdown. Using questionnaires to obtain feedback from customers following river cruises, insights are gained into the risks of service breakdowns and mitigation of such risks so that DMCs can manage their own sustainability.

This paper examines the critical role that suppliers and services professionals play in the ability of Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs)to deliver consistent service levels. The research investigates customer satisfaction on the AmaWaterways Africa tour and the dependency of customer satisfac...