Department of conservation visitor and information centres: understanding visitor satisfaction

Abstract

This research attempts to measure visitor satisfaction with Department of Conservation information and visitor centres. Specifically the study aims to discover what type of visitor the centres are receiving, how particular visitor groups differ in regard to their need for services from centres, the level of satisfaction associated with each visitor group, with each group of visitor and information centres and over all information and visitor centres, and what visitor and information centre attributes contribute to satisfaction. Visitor satisfaction was measured by the evaluation of three variables; what visitors thought overall of the centres, visitor satisfaction with individual centre services, and how well visitors thought they were provided for by the centres. Research data was collected through the use of an interview-administered questionnaire. A sample of twenty visitor and information centres were used in the research. These were to be representative of all the department's centres with regard to size, number and kind of visitors, geographic location, involvement in the Visitor Information Network and park/rural urban bases. The interviewers used for the research were "Tourism Green" temporary employees. A total of 2803 questionnaires were completed. Results from the research strongly indicate that overall visitors were very satisfied with the visitor and information centres. However there were differences in the level of satisfaction between particular visitor groups and between visitors to particular types of centres. These differences can be accounted for in terms of visitor behaviour, (which is out of the control of managers), and the different needs of certain visitor groups. In particular the greater need for information expressed by overseas and under 40 year old visitors was identified as contributing to the lower satisfaction levels of these groups. A series of recommendations are made at the end of this report.