Urban transport networks and overseas visitors : analysis of the factors affecting usage and the implications for destination management

Thompson, KJ

Abstract

Whilst transport has repeatedly been identified as an integral component in the tourism system, the relationship between urban public transport networks and visitor behaviour at urban destinations remains largely unexplored. Furthermore, tourist transport is rarely the subject of the same quality benchmarking techniques that are applied to other elements of the tourism product.
The thesis reviews the use of service quality and customer satisfaction measures in urban tourism and urban public transport, highlighting dimensions of urban public transport quality which may be of particular relevance to overseas visitors at urban destinations. The results of a survey of overseas visitors to Greater Manchester, employing both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, are subsequently presented, identifying factors affecting the use of public transport by overseas visitors to Greater Manchester. Attributes of public transport service quality, revealed by the research to be of importance in measuring overseas visitors’ satisfaction with urban public transport performance in Greater Manchester, are reduced by means of principal components analysis to reveal the underlying dimensions of overseas visitors’ satisfaction with Manchester’s public transport system. An ensuing regression analysis reveals the relationships between the dimensions of public transport performance, overall satisfaction with public transport and satisfaction with Manchester as a visitor destination. Additionally, an importance-performance analysis is employed to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of public transport service in Manchester from an overseas visitor perspective. The implications for destination management are discussed.

Citation

Thompson, K. Urban transport networks and overseas visitors : analysis of the factors affecting usage and the implications for destination management. (Thesis). University of Salford, UK

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 22, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 22, 2009
• Additional Information: Additional Information : PhD supervisor: Dr Peter Schofield
• Award Date: Apr 1, 2003