Evaluating the service quality of insular and coastal recreational fisheries by integration of the SERVQUAL-fuzzy Kano model and importance-performance analysis

Abstract

Service quality plays an essential role in the development of recreational fisheries. Analyzing and evaluating service quality provides potential insights into the directions for future advances in recreational fisheries. This study established 16 attributes of five dimensions based on the SERVQUAL (Service Quality) method to measure the service quality of recreational fisheries. From the perspective of tourists, we developed an evaluation system of the recreational fishery service quality of Shengshan Island and Lianjiang County in China, based on the fuzzy Kano model and importance-performance analysis. Research results identified similarities and significant differences in the quality of recreational fishery services in the two regions. On the one hand, in terms of transportation, infrastructure, project prices, and product prices, their service quality performs satisfactorily; on the other hand, the recreational fishery of Shengshan Island exhibited a higher development level than that of Lianjiang. It is noteworthy that Shengshan shows disadvantages in terms of recreational fishery activities and experience programs, which are regarded as the strengths of Lianjiang's recreational fishery. Shengshan demonstrates strengths in accommodation and catering, which are identified as shortcomings of Lianjiang's recreational fishery. Therefore, in order to ensure the sustainable development of recreational fisheries, Shengshan Island and Lianjiang County should strive to maintain their respective strengths and improve their weaknesses. Finally, based on the analysis results and field research findings, countermeasures and suggestions for enhancing the service quality of recreational fisheries in the two regions are proposed, serving as a reference for recreational fisheries encountering similar issues.