Analysis of tour values to develop enablers using an interpretive hierarchy-based model in Taiwan

Tourism experiences in natural landscapes are considered an integral component of tourism value. Tourism experiences can also create a link between an individual and his or her spiritual needs. Thus, this study aims to utilize an effective approach to interpret individual, subjective human experiences in natural environments using interpretive structural modeling. This technique is used to build a hierarchybased model and determine the mutual relationships among the enablers of tour value. In addition, this study uses the Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to analyze the degree of influence of these factors and their degree of dependence on each other. To collect the empirical data, questionnaires were distributed to visitors at Grand Gangshan, a tourist destination in northeastern Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The results show that particular enablers (Internet marketing, the establishment of sales locations and planning for travel information services) have a high degree of influence and exhibit low dependence. These enablers require a great deal of attention because of their strategic importance to tourism development. The approach employed in this study provides a very useful tool for travel authorities to use to differentiate between the independent and dependent variables affecting tour value and to identify the relationships among those variables. Using this approach will allow the actors in this industry to focus on the most important variables for promoting the visitor experience in natural settings. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.