The Differences Among Travel Agency Users in the Importance Ratings of Agency Service Features

Abstract

A sample of travel agency users from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, were surveyed to assess their attitudes about 29 agency service features. Factor analysis of the features resulted in the identification of seven dimensions of agency usage: information search, interactive agent quality, physical aspects of the agency, buyer value, technical skill, and two groups of specialized services. Comparisons based on specific user characteristics revealed leisure travelers considered information search to be more important than business travelers did, and women rated information search, physical aspects of the agency (location and convenience), and buyer value to be more important than men did.