10.2190/DXNG-NK0F-PYG4-01KE DXNGNK0FPYG401KE 6 Commercial Recreation and Tourism: A Component Analysis of Customer Satisfaction 93 102 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 DXNGNK0FPYG401KE.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=DXNGNK0FPYG401KE 1 David L. Groves Bowling Green State University Customer satisfaction is a primary element related to profits in commercial recreation. Consumers who are satisfied return and spend additional dollars. The purpose of this article was to explore the potential of a different evaluation system to help developers of tours to improve their programs, services and facilities. This study was conducted on a senior citizen tour into an historical resort area. The approach being used was that instantaneous measures of mood and quality were correlated to an overall index of satisfaction. The data were analyzed using a stepwise regression format and there was a different equation for each of the scheduled components. Results suggest that this type of assessment process helps to improve the design of tours to the point of increasing satisfaction with trips significantly. P. L. Pearce, A Favorability-Satisfaction Model of Tourists' Evaluations, <i>Journal of Travel Research, 18</i>:1, pp. 13-17, 1980. J. H. Schomaker and R. C. Knopf, Generalizability of a Measure of Visitor Satisfaction with Outdoor Recreation, <i>Applied Psychological Measurement, 6</i>:2, pp. 173-183, 1982. B. H. Booms and M. J. Bitner, New Management Tools for the Successful Tourism Manager, <i>Annals of Tourism Research, 7</i>:3, pp. 337-352, 1980. J. Jafari and J. R. B. Ritchie, Toward a Framework for Tourism Education, Problems and Prospects, <i>Annals of Tourism Research, 8</i>:1, pp. 13-34, 1981. A. F. Epperson, <i>Private and Commercial Recreation</i>, John Wiley and Sons, New York, New York, 1977. A. G. Woodside and I. A. Ronkainen, Vacation Travel Planning Segments: Self Planning vs. Users of Motor Clubs and Travel Agents, <i>Annals of Tourism Research, 7</i>:3, pp. 385-394, 1980. J. Gamrecki, Getting in the Swim, <i>Hotel and Motel Management, 197</i>:2, pp. 16-17, 1982. R. L. Seely, H. J. Iglarsh, and D. L. Edgell, Goal Programming: Planning Process of Tourism Organizations, <i>Annals of Tourism Research, 7</i>:3, pp. 353-365, 1980. E. W. Mechling and J. Mechling, The Sale of Two Cities, <i>Journal of Popular Culture, 15</i>:1, pp. 166-179, 1981. R. B. Nye, Eight Ways of Looking at an Amusement Park, <i>Journal of Popular Culture, 15</i>:1, pp. 63-75, 1981. D. MacCannell, <i>The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class</i>, Schocken Books, New York, New York, 1976. G. Broom, Planning for Tourism, <i>Planner, 68</i>:2, pp. 63-65, 1982. J. E. Brougham and R. W. Butler, A Segmentation Analysis of Resident Attitudes to the Social Impact of Tourism, <i>Annals of Tourism Research, 8</i>:4, pp. 569-590, 1981. M. J. Etzel and A. G. Woodside, Segmenting Vacation Markets: The Case of the Distant and Near-Home Travelers, <i>Journal of Travel Research, 20</i>:4, pp. 10-14, 1982. R. M. Cosenza and D. L. Davis, Family Vacation Decision Making over the Family Life Cycle: A Decision and Influence Structure Analysis, <i>Journal of Travel Research, 20</i>:1, pp. 17-23, 1981. J. V. Eastlack, Jr., Applying a Package Goods Research Method to Tourism Marketing, <i>Journal of Travel Research, 20</i>:4, pp. 25-29, 1982. E. J. Mayo and L. P. Jarvis, <i>The Psychology of Leisure Travel: Effective Marketing and Selling of Travel Services</i>, CBI Publishing Company, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 1981. V. Nowlis, Research with Mood Adjective Checklist, in <i>Readings in Affect, Cognition and Personality</i>, S. S. Tomkins and C. Izard (eds.), Springer Publishing Company, New York, New York, 1965. B. Edvardssan and J. Vegelius, O-Factor Analysis of Mood Ratings, <i>Applied Psychological Measurement, 5</i>:4, pp. 459-465, 1981. P. R. Stopher, A. H. Meyburg, and W. Brog (eds.), <i>New Horizons in Travel-Behavior Research</i>, Lexington Books, Lexington, Massachusetts, 1981. M. Abrams, Class Differences in the Use of Leisure Time by the Elderly, <i>Leisure Studies Association Quarterly, 1</i>:4, pp. 2-3, 1980. B. B. Anderson and L. Langmeyer, The Under-50 and Over-50 Travelers: A Profile of Similarities and Differences, <i>Journal of Travel Research, 20</i>:4, pp. 20-24, 1982. R. Bartos, Women and Travel, <i>Journal of Travel Research, 20</i>:4, pp. 3-9, 1982. R. C. Buck, The Ubiquitous Tourist Brochure, <i>Annals of Tourism Research, 4</i>:4, pp. 195-207, 1977.