Designing tourist information offices: The role of the human factor

Abstract

Rapid technological change is leading to the introduction of new ways of providing services in the tourism industry. However, the human factor is also key in providing satisfaction to visitors. This article evaluates the preferences of visitors for different service designs at tourist information offices (TIOs). The methodology used is discrete choice experiments. Results show that visitors place higher values on information services received through personal interaction than through automated processes based on new technology. The implication is that the personal interaction continues to be an important element in the design of TIOs, but that new technology may increase the quality of the provision of services and visitor satisfaction. The methodology employed also allows us to identify different visitors’ segments based on their preferences for TIO services.