Can Cruise Services Satisfy Chinese Outbound Travelers? An Importance–Performance Analysis

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore tourists’ satisfaction with cruise services and the gap between expectation and satisfaction, focusing on Chinese outbound tourists traveling to South Korea. Using a mixed-methods approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to summarize items of cruise services for measurement; importance–performance analysis was performed to simultaneously examine the matching degree between tourists’ perceived importance and performance. Tourists’ expectation is measured by the side of importance, meanwhile, performance represents their satisfaction. This study suggests that cruising is an important way for Chinese tourists to travel abroad, and tourists were generally satisfied with the services provided by immigration, customs, and the cruises. However, a gap remains between the perceived expectation and satisfaction. In terms of cruise service, the most important item was the good language and communication skills of the staff, and the most satisfactory performance was the effective boarding service. The biggest gap was observed in the effective service of handling ticket bookings, cancellations, and confirmations. The results of this study can provide insight into enhancing cruise services and marketing, specifically for companies working with the Chinese market.

摘要

本研究以中国赴韩国旅游的出境游客为研究对象, 旨在探讨游客对游轮服务的满意度以及期望与满意度之间的差距。本文采用了混合研究方法, 通过深度访谈以总结进行量化比较的游轮服务项目, 通过重要性-绩效分析来检测游客感知重要性与绩效之间的匹配程度。通过重要性这一指标来衡量游客期望, 而绩效代表了游客满意度。本研究认为, 游轮是中国游客出国旅游的重要方式之一, 游客对入境, 海关和游轮提供的服务普遍满意。然而, 感知期望和满意度之间仍然存在着差距。在游轮服务方面, 最重要的是员工良好的语言能力和沟通技巧, 最令人满意的表现是有效的登船服务, 期望与满意度最大的差距则存在于处理船票预订,取消和确认的有效服务方面。这项研究的结果可以为相关公司提供加强游轮服务和市场营销方面的建议, 尤其是与中国市场合作的公司提供见解。

KEYWORDS:

• Cruise service
• outbound tourists
• expectation
• satisfaction
• importance–performance analysis (IPA)
• china
• south Korea

关键词:

• 游轮服务
• 出境游客
• 期望值
• 满意度
• 重要性-绩效分析 (IPA)
• 中国
• 韩国

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the support of the National Social Science Fund of China (20BGL159), Shandong Social Science Fund (20CLYJ35).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Shandong Social Science Fund [20CLYJ35]; National Social Science Fund of China [20BGL159].

Notes on contributors

Haiyan Kong

Haiyan Kong is a Professor of Business School at Shandong University, Shandong, China. Her research interests include tourism sustainable development, international hospitality management, human resource management, career competency, AI and information technology, international education (E-mail: [email protected]).

Fevzi Okumus

Fevzi Okumus is a Professor of Rosen College of Hospitality Management at University of Central Florida, USA. His research areas include competitive advantage, sustainability and green practices, strategy implementation, knowledge management, hotel/lodging management, crisis management, destination marketing, information technology, and developing countries. (E-mail: [email protected]).

Roya Rahimi

Roya Rahimi is a Reader of Business School at University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Her research interests are innovation, big data, CRM, organizational culture, gender equality, and tourism higher education (E-mail: [email protected]).

Naipeng Bu

Naipeng (Tom) Bu is an Assistant Professor of Business School at Shandong University, Shandong, China. His researches cover tourism planning and development, tourism culture, destination image, and competitiveness. His teaching expertise includes tourism culture, tourism planning, and destination management (E-mail: [email protected]).

Zihan Yin

Zihan Yin is Ph.D. Candidate of Business School, Shandong University, Shandong, China. Her research interests cover big data and smart tourism destination, marketing, and tourism destination (Email: dongdong- wh @163.com).