Abstract
Tourists are in contact with two types of services at destinations: enterprise services offered by tourism enterprises (e.g., hotels, shops, restaurants, etc.) and public services (public transportation, public information, public safety, etc.) provided by the local government. Following Churchill’s (1979) procedures, a model of destination service encounters (DSEs), including four dimensions (i.e.,enterprise personal interaction encounters (EPIEs), enterprise physical environment encounters (EPEEs), public personal interaction encounters (PPIEs), public physical environment encounters (PPEEs), and 10 subdimensions, was constructed. Then, the effects of DSEs on tourist satisfaction (TS) were tested with data collected in Shaoshan Township, China. The results revealed that EPIEs, PPIEs, and PPEEs had significant positive effects on TS. This model promotes the application of service encounter (SE) theory in destination management, and it offers implications for the synergy management of public and private sectors at destinations to improve tourist experiences.
Highlights
In 2017, the total revenue of world tourism was $1.34 trillion, an increase of $94 billion over 2016, and the total number of international tourists reached 1.323 billion, an increase of about 84 million over the previous year, which is the largest increase since 2010 [1]
Dimensions of destination service encounters (DSEs) Tourists typically interact with two types of services at destinations, i.e., enterprise services offered by tourism enterprises and public services (e.g., Spuustbalinicabtirliatyn2s0p1o9,r1t1a,t9io60n, public information, public safety, etc.) provided by the local government3[o1f52]0
service encounters (SEs) theory was applied to a destination context
Summary
In 2017, the total revenue of world tourism was $1.34 trillion, an increase of $94 billion over 2016, and the total number of international tourists reached 1.323 billion, an increase of about 84 million over the previous year, which is the largest increase since 2010 [1]. Services are produced and delivered by consumers’ encounters with frontline employees [6] This kind of encounter is regarded as “the moment of truth”, which plays a critical role in customers’ perceived service quality and satisfaction [7]. Previous studies were conducted in the context of tourist attractions, or focused on a single aspect of service encounter at the destination. Their measurement of SEs cannot be directly applied to a destination context, which involves two service units (i.e., tourism enterprises and the local government) and two kinds of service encounters (i.e., encounters with the employees and service environment). The current study explored a destination service encounter (DSE) model adopting an encompassing manner, and tested its effects on TS.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
