The Visitor Experience and Perception of Information Quality at the Sydney Visitor Information Centre

Abstract

This exploratory research measures visitors' perceived quality of traditional information resources (staff and brochures) at a VIC and new resources in terms of a priori usage of the World Wide Web (Web) and determines the relationship between that perceived quality and the visitor experience at the VIC. The theoretical approach adopts a model from information systems: the model of expectation-disconfirmation effects on web customer satisfaction. A survey was conducted at the Sydney VIC and visitors' perceived quality of all information ranked resources quite highly, though the Web was the lowest. The perceived quality of information received from staff and brochures at the VIC explained two-thirds of the variance of the visitor experience whilst a priori use of the Web explained none. The implications are discussed in terms of VIC provision of visitor services and the visitor experience.

Key Words:

• Information resource management
• visitor centers
• visitor experience
• Internet
• information services