Urban tourism attributes and overall satisfaction: An asymmetric impact-performance analysis

The existing literature is limited on the asymmetric relationships between urban tourism attributes and overall satisfaction. To fill this research gap, this study uses the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction to examine the determinants of tourist satisfaction and dissatisfaction with five attributes (i.e., variety, food, and service; urban forests; price; safety, and heritage) in Savannah, GA, based on a sample of 604 tourists. Asymmetric impact-performance analysis (AIPA) and importance-performance analysis (IPA) were made at both the aggregate and segment levels. AIPA results at the aggregate level show that urban forests are classified as an excitement factor, heritage as a performance factor, and the remaining three attributes as basic factors. While IPA patterns are almost the same across segments, AIPA patterns show more variations than similarities, suggesting AIPA is more efficient than IPA to determine areas where different management strategies are needed. Methodological and managerial implications are discussed.