Management Method Based on Visitor Satisfaction in “African Savannah”, Yokohama Zoo

We aimed to examine the management method regarding the facilities of Yokohama Zoo based on visitor satisfaction. We employed a questionnaire survey to examine visitor satisfaction in the “African Savannah” area of Yokohama Zoo; the satisfaction trends for weekdays and holidays were analyzed separately. Results show that the majority of visitors comprised middle- to old-aged women on weekdays and families on holidays. Further, visitor satisfaction was generally high, especially in terms of “cleanliness.” We also found that visitor satisfaction on weekdays was primarily affected by “variety of animals” and “direction of space,” besides some factors excluded from the survey for holidays, such as the “learning effect,” “ease of walking on walkways,” and “maintenance of landscape plants.” The factors affecting visitor satisfaction on holidays also included “va riety of animals” and “direction of space,” in addition to some factors excluded from the survey for weekends - “feeling of cleanliness,” “descriptions on explanatory signboards,” and “maintenance of rest facilities.” Based on the above results, we reviewed the management method of the zoo to improve visitor satisfaction and, by extension, to increase the number of visitors.