Destination Service Encounter Modeling and Relationships with Tourist Satisfaction

Tourists are in contact with two types of services at destinations: enterprise services offered by tourism enterprises (e.g., hotels, shops, restaurants, etc.) and public services (public transportation, public information, public safety, etc.) provided by the local government. Following Churchill’s (1979) procedures, a model of destination service encounters (DSEs), including four dimensions (i.e.,enterprise personal interaction encounters (EPIEs), enterprise physical environment encounters (EPEEs), public personal interaction encounters (PPIEs), public physical environment encounters (PPEEs), and 10 subdimensions, was constructed. Then, the effects of DSEs on tourist satisfaction (TS) were tested with data collected in Shaoshan Township, China. The results revealed that EPIEs, PPIEs, and PPEEs had significant positive effects on TS. This model promotes the application of service encounter (SE) theory in destination management, and it offers implications for the synergy management of public and private sectors at destinations to improve tourist experiences.