Experiences on swim-with-dolphins tours: an importance–performance analysis of dolphin tour participants in Kaikoura, New Zealand

ABSTRACT

With increasing understanding of the complex concept of tourism satisfaction, a tool investigating the importance of, and satisfaction with, a number of tour components was developed in the 1970s: the importance–performance analysis. This study surveyed participants on swim-with-wild-dolphins tours in Kaikoura, New Zealand to investigate how they viewed the importance of and their satisfaction with a variety of content features on these tours. Questionnaires distributed after the tour experience included both closed-ended questions in Likert-scale format, as well as open-ended questions. Results show that tourists on swim-with-dolphins tours in New Zealand displayed high satisfaction rates, but also revealed some areas that can be improved. Themes identified as desired interpretive components, such as education about the threats to dolphins and the wider marine environment, and how tour participants can help to protect the marine environment, were also previously found in the literature as desired content, and represent the main areas recommended for improvement.

KEYWORDS:

• Importance–performance analysis
• gap analysis
• motivation
• satisfaction
• swim-with-dolphins tours
• wildlife tourism

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the owners and team of Encounter Kaikoura for their enthusiastic support of this study. Trish Brothers was of invaluable help with the meticulous copy-editing of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Michael Lück http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6473-8579

Brooke A. Porter http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8183-9662

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Faculty of Culture & Society, Auckland University of Technology under grants AX11/02 and PBRF/36.