Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
definition or concept of urban tourism quality is difficult due to the intangible nature of
services as products which are purchased and consumed.
In the context of urban tourism, three key issues need to be addressed. First, place-
marketing generates an image of a destination that may not be met in reality due to the
problems of promoting places as tourist products. The image promoted through place-
marketing may not necessarily be matched in reality through the services and goods
which the tourism industry delivers. As a result, the gap between customers' perception
of a destination and the bundle of products they consume is reflected in their actual
tourist experience, which has important implications for their assessment of quality in
their experience. Second, the urban tourism product is largely produced by the private
sector either as a package or as a series of elements which are not easily controlled or
influenced by the place-marketer. Third, there is a wide range of associated factors which
affect a tourist's image of a destination, including less tangible elements like the
environment and the ambience of the city which may shape the outcome of a tourist's
experience. As a result, the customer's evaluation of the quality of the services and
products provided is a function of the difference (gap) between expected and perceived
service. It is in this context that the concept of service quality is important for urban
tourism. D.Gilbert and Joshi (1992) present an excellent review of the literature,
including many of the concepts associated with service quality. In the case of urban
tourism, it is the practical management of the 'gap' between the expected and the
perceived service that requires attention by urban managers and the tourism industry. In
reviewing Parasuraman et al.'s (1985) service quality model, Gilbert and Joshi
(1992:155) identify five gaps which exist between
• the expected service and the management's perceptions of the consumer experience (i.e.
what they think the tourist wants) (Gap 1)
• the management's perception of the tourist needs and the translation of those needs into
service quality specifications (Gap 2)
• the quality specifications and the actual delivery of the service (Gap 3)
• the service delivery stage and the organisation/ provider's communication with the
consumer (Gap 4)
• the consumers' perception of the service they received and experienced, and their initial
expectations of the service (Gap 5).
Gilbert and Joshi (1992) argue that the effective utilisation of market research techniques
could help to bridge some of the gaps. For
• Gap 1 by encouraging providers to elicit detailed information from consumers on what
they require
• Gap 2 by the management providing realistic specifications for the services to be
provided which are guided by clear quality standards
• Gap 3 by the employees being able to deliver the service according to the specifications;
these need to be closely monitored, and staff training and development is essential: a
service is only as good as the staff it employs
• Gap 4 by the promises made by service providers in their marketing and promotional
messages being reflected in the actual quality offered; therefore, if a city's
promotional literature promises a warm welcome, human resource managers
