Autor/a

María Amparo Cervera Taulet (Universidad de Valencia)

Coautor/es

Carmen Pérez Cabañero (Universidad de Valencia)

Maria Walesska Schlesinger (universidad de valencia)

This paper compares the quality of service experience as reported by tourists in seven northern and southern Mediterranean cities. Otto and Ritchie’s (1996) scale was included in a self-report study which provided data from 1362 tourists. Results show that tourists perceive northern Mediterranean destinations differently from destinations in the southern Mediterranean. Tourists report high tourist involvement in northern destinations, whereas, in the south, tourists’ emphasize destinations’ hedonic features. Tourists highlighted the importance of the dimension peace of mind in all destinations. Knowledge about dimensions of the quality of service experience may help tourism managers to improve services and innovate. These implications are also valuable for European policymakers.

Palabras clave: Tourism, Mediterranean Sea basin, quality, service experience, tourism management