Tourist satisfaction with factory tour experience

Abstract

Purpose – The purposes of this study were to identify the sector-specific destination attributes as antecedents of tourism satisfaction in the context of industrial tourism and examine their relative impact on intentions to recommend and re-participate in factory tour activities as consequences of tourist satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The 26 sector-specific destination attributes ranging from the diversity of on-site and nearby tourism resources, the ease of internal and external accessibility, the availability of lodging and dining facilities to the provision of information services and safety and emergency systems were drawn from the relevant literature. Data were collected with 222 on-site visitors using convenient sampling on three separate weekends in August 2014. Findings – The results showed that tourist satisfaction with factory tour experience is composed of seven dimensions, namely, lodging and dining facilities, internal accessibility, nearby attractions, external accessibility, provision of safety and emergency systems, on-site attractions and provision of information services. While satisfaction with the provision of safety and emergency systems is the most important positive contributor to overall satisfaction, satisfaction with the on-site attractions exerts a negative effect on intention to recommend. Nevertheless, the higher overall satisfaction the visitors have, the more possibility they will recommend and re-participate in factory tour activities. Research limitations/implications – There were three limitations to this study. First, this study was confined to Taiwan. The sector-specific destination attributes may be limited and only applicable to Taiwan. Second, this study was based on a convenience sample of 222 domestic tourists at the three selected tourism factory sites. The results may not be generalized beyond this population. Third, overall satisfaction, intention to re-participate and willingness to recommend were all measured by a single question. The use of a single-item measure may cause the measurement error inherent in any singular measure and weaken the reliability of findings. Practical implications – This study is a step toward strengthening tourist satisfaction with factory tour experience. Ensuring on-site safety and security is listed as the top priority for both the government and industry sectors. The bad publicity arising from any accidents occurring on any tourism factory sties could seriously tarnish the overall factory tour experience, which, in turn, influences more significantly on intention to re-participation than on willingness to recommend. The second task is to diversify the on-site attractions, which enable the pursuit of learning as a type of leisure/entertainment, and promote the authentic aspects of these attractions through social media. Originality/value – Previous studies have examined the antecedents and consequences of tourist satisfaction with the chosen destination; however, none has been undertaken in the context of industrial tourism. Moreover, the existing industrial tourism literature has mainly focused on the socio-demographic and traveling characteristics of industrial tourists as well as the conditions under which industrial tourism can be successfully developed in the Western context. The perceptions of industrial tourists toward the determinants of industrial tourism potential in the context of Asia generally and Taiwan in particular have been poorly under-researched. This study with an attempt to address these issues is, therefore, both timely and worthwhile.