Element | Definition | Measurement |
The physical plant | · A site, natural resource, or facility (waterfall, wildlife, or resort); · Fixed property (hotel, cruise ship); · Conditions of the physical environment (weather, water quality, crowding, and tourism infrastructure). · Basic parts: land, water, buildings, equipment and infrastructure. | · Physical design impact on the consumer’s experience. · Physical plant quality can be assessed by user’s experience enhancement, environment protection, and makes the product accessible to tourists with a wide range of physical abilities or limitations. |
Service | · Service makes the physical plant useful for tourists; · The performance of specific tasks required to meet the needs of tourists. · Technical-competent performance of a task. | · Quality measurement: · Performance of employees against whose technical knowledge; · Service quality (Gronroos, 1983); · Service management (Fitzsimmons and Sullivan, 1982) |
Hospitality | · Something extra or enhanced service; · The attitude or style in which the task is performed; · Be sensitive to the pressures on a business traveller, encouragement to play for pleasure traveller; · Expression of welcome by local residents; · Smile, genuine warmth, and willingness. | · More difficult; · Solicited and unsolicited customer feedback(Nightingale, 1985; Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988); Saleh and Ryan (1991); · Tourist experience (Dann, 1976; Gunn, 1988; Jefferson and Lickorish, 1988; Murphy, 1985; Prentice, 1993); · Tourism product is a human experience; · Inclusion of the tourists as a part of tourism product. |
Freedom of choice | · Refer to the necessity that the traveller has some acceptable range of options in order for the experience to be satisfactory; · The degree depends on the purpose of travel (pleasure, business, family matter, or a combination); · Varies with a budget, previous experience, knowledge; · Reliance on the travel agency or prepackaged tours; · Must include some elements of choice; · Roles of freedom of choice in recreational or pleasure travel: particularly clear; · The most basic choice is the freedom to purchase or not. · Freedom implies not just choice but also the potential for happiness, surprises and spontaneity. | · Choice · Happy · Surprise · Spontaneity · Spontaneity: deciding on one’s sleeping and waking times, making a last-minute decision to get away for a weekend or making a major departure from an itinerary. · Relation to value |
Involvement | · Consumers participate; · The combination of an acceptable physical plant, good service, hospitality, and freedom of choice (basis); · Physical, intellectual and emotional involvement; · Physical participation, a sense of engagement in activities. | · The quality of “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi 1975; Mannell, Larson and Zusanek, 1988), in which the participant “loses” himself in an activity; · Concentrate on those activities important to the purpose of the trip; · The business traveller can focus on conducting business without worrying about the availability or adequacy of accommodation, meals, or transportation. · Pleasure traveller: · Playing or relaxing in a way that is personally satisfying; · Feeling sufficiently safe and secure; · Capturing the imagination (immersion, interaction and imagination), interest, and enthusiasm; · Cause time to pass without notice (explore the world, people, own mental and emotional response to the trip); · Involvement, combined with the freedom of choice, warm hospitality, competent service, and a good physical plant (which includes accessibility, acceptable environmental quality, good weather, and appropriate numbers of other people), virtually guarantees quality and satisfying tourism product. |