Examining Relationships among Expo Experiences, Service Quality, Satisfaction, and the Effect of the Expo: The Case of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

Abstract

The enduring legacy of a mega-event can be the unique opportunities it provides for visitors. Thus, focusing on the visitors’ experiences should be a priority for the tourism industry. Festivals and mega-events are typical experiential products that provide high-quality experiences in the field of tourism. This study examines Pine and Gilmore's concept of the experience economy in the context of a mega-event. Specifically, the relationships among Expo experience, quality, satisfaction, and the effect of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea are examined. This study empirically tests whether the Expo experience and Expo quality influence visitor satisfaction. It also investigates whether visitor satisfaction influences the effect of the Expo. A self-administered survey was conducted for visitors (N = 377) of the Expo. The results of testing Pine and Gilmore's concept of the experience economy reveal that among four dimensions, esthetic experience followed by entertainment experience were the most important experiences influencing visitor satisfaction. The results also show that the effect of the Yeosu Expo was determined by Expo satisfaction. However, the findings indicate that educational and escape experiences were not closely related to satisfaction for Expo visitors.

Key words:

• mega-event
• experience economy
• satisfaction
• the effect of the mega-event