Group Tour Management: Does Good Service Produce Satisfied Customers?

A modified version of the expectation/performance paradigm was applied in a specific group tour situation to measure the relative importance of tourism services and attractions to satisfaction with a weekend motorcoach tour to Niagara Falls. It was determined that the experience level of the traveler did not significantly affect expectations norperformance ratings. Utilizing repeated measures ANOVA, two service features (tour escort service and convenience of departurepoints) and one attraction (sightseeing) were singled out as being the attributes which contributed significantly to satisfaction with the trip and to intention to book another tour. These three variables were not rated as most important in the travelers' tour selection processes.