An Importance-Performance Analysis of Dining Attributes: A Comparison of Individual and Packaged Tourists in Taiwan

Abstract

Utilizing an importance-performance analysis (IPA), this paper examines the importance and performance of dining attributes in Taiwan as perceived by individual and packaged tourists. This study obtained 435 samples including 180 individual tourists and 255 packaged tourists. The IPA grids indicated that “food hygiene and cleanliness of the restaurant” fell into the “concentrate here” quadrant in these two groups. In the same quadrant, “service quality of the staff” was identified in the individual tourists' sample and “food quality” was identified in the packaged tourists' sample. These are the main factors that need to be improved. Additionally, an independent sample t-test and Chi-square analysis were employed to examine any significant differences between the individual and packaged tourists and among different demographic profiles of tourists, respectively. Afterwards, a follow-up study interviewing the tourists was conducted to compare with the results of the IPA analysis. Implications for the foodservice industry, travel agency and academic research are discussed.

Keywords:

• importance-performance analysis
• tourist
• dining
• tourism

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by a research grant from the National Science Council in Taiwan conducted by the author (NSC 98-2410-H-228-002).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ching-Shu Su

From 1 August 2012, affiliated to Department of Hospitality Management, School of Tourism, Ming Chuan University, Taipei, Taiwan.