An expert system approach to assess service performance of travel intermediary

Asian travel industry, in terms of outbound travel markets, has been confronting the global accelerating competition in 21st century. Regarding to the outbound travels, the incumbent travel intermediaries (destination tour operators), the ultimate front-liners of tourism packages provisions is accordingly essential. Technically, estimation on the incumbent travel intermediaries is a series of multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM). Subsequently, this paper executes the implementation of focus group which interviewed 35 travel experts and further integrates the analytic network process approach (ANP) via the insights of host travel agency. Research results objectively enable the Asian travel agencies to evaluate the sustained travel intermediary as well as elaborating the service performance and quality.

[1]  Adrien Presley,et al.  R&D project selection using the analytic network process , 2002, IEEE Trans. Engineering Management.

[2]  Thomas L. Saaty,et al.  Decision making with dependence and feedback : the analytic network process : the organization and prioritization of complexity , 1996 .

[3]  Juan Manuel Campos Benítez,et al.  Using fuzzy number for measuring quality of service in the hotel industry , 2007 .

[4]  Nevenka Čavlek,et al.  Tour operators and destination safety , 2002 .

[5]  Kuo-Ching Wang,et al.  Is the tour leader an effective endorser for group package tour brochures , 2002 .

[6]  Joseph Sarkis,et al.  Analyzing organizational project alternatives for agile manufacturing processes: An analytical network approach , 1999 .

[7]  Patrick T.I. Lam,et al.  Travel agents as facilitators or inhibitors of travel: perceptions of people with disabilities. , 2003 .

[8]  William C. Gartner,et al.  Tour operators' role in the tourism distribution system: an Indonesian case study. , 1994 .

[9]  Roger March,et al.  Diversity in Asian outbound travel industries: a comparison between Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. , 1997 .

[10]  Aviva Geva,et al.  Satisfaction measurement in guided tours. , 1991 .

[11]  Sheng-Hshiung Tsaur,et al.  The evaluation of airline service quality by fuzzy MCDM. , 2002 .

[12]  Wei-Wen Wu,et al.  Selecting knowledge management strategies by using the analytic network process , 2007, Expert Syst. Appl..

[13]  Gwen Dianne Reimer,et al.  Packaging dreams: Canadian tour operators at work , 1990 .

[14]  T. Saaty,et al.  Fundamentals of the analytic network process — Dependence and feedback in decision-making with a single network , 2004 .

[15]  Wen-Bao Lin,et al.  An empirical of service quality model from the viewpoint of management , 2007, Expert Syst. Appl..

[16]  Pauline J. Sheldon,et al.  The tour operator industry: An analysis , 1986 .

[17]  Dimitrios Buhalis,et al.  The perception of small and medium sized tourism accommodation providers on the impacts of the tour operators’ power in Eastern Mediterranean , 2004 .

[18]  Kuo-Ching Wang,et al.  Critical service features in group package tour: An exploratory research , 2000 .

[19]  Heng Li,et al.  Analytic network process applied to project selection , 2005 .

[20]  R. Dumazel,et al.  Travel agent monitoring and management , 1999 .

[21]  T. Saaty,et al.  The Analytic Hierarchy Process , 1985 .

[22]  Kuo-Ching Wang,et al.  GPTCCC: An instrument for measuring group package tour service , 2007 .

[23]  Juan Manuel García-Falcón,et al.  Understanding European tour operators' control on accommodation companies: an empirical evidence , 2003 .

[24]  Heng Li,et al.  The analytic network process (ANP) approach to location selection: a shopping mall illustration , 2005 .

[25]  Mugur Calin Anghel.  Study of comparison between analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and analytic network process (ANP) regarding decision-making in GIS , 2002 .

[26]  L. C. Leung,et al.  Analysis of compatibility between interdependent matrices in ANP , 2003, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[27]  Joseph Sarkis.  A STRATEGIC DECISION FRAMEWORK FOR GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT , 2003 .

[28]  Y. Reisinger,et al.  Cultural Differences between Asian Tourist Markets and Australian Hosts, Part 1 , 2002 .