Manageable Predictors of Park Visitor Satisfaction: Maintenance and Personnel

A study during four consecutive seasons of visitors to 25 of Florida’s State Parks was undertaken to determine manageable correlates, or predictors, of visitor satisfaction. Visitors (n=8608) responded on a fivepoint Likert scale to 23 predictor items grouped into five categories. Item correlations revealed numerous strong predictors. Multiple regression analyses revealed that 34% of visitor satisfaction variance was predicted by ratings in just two categories of items: park maintenance and park personnel. Park managers who concentrate their efforts on these two manageable and demonstrably important features of the park experience— by assuring maintenance and cleanliness of the park and by training employees and their behaviors —should produce measurable and documentable increases in park visitor satisfaction. The authors suggest that cooperative planning and good communication between park managers and university researchers can greatly improve the quality and usefulness of research.