ABSTRACT
Peterson and Wilson (1992) note that in the period 1970 to 1990 over 15,000 academic and trade articles on the subject of customer satisfaction have been published. To attempt a review of the development of even one part of the theory of the measurement of customer satisfaction, as it applies to tourist experiences, may be perceived as an act of insanity or megalomania. Yet such a review may be of use if it can identify at least some of the twists and turns in the debate; especially if it raises questions about whether the apparent ease of measurement makes us blind to the real nature of the experience tourists seek and often find. This chapter thus has
a few basic themes. First it will briefly note the emergence of gap analysis as a form of consumer satisfaction measurement derived from theories of quality production, services management, and service quality. Second, it will discuss more fully the development of a specific form of gap analysis associated with the work of Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry. Third, the question will be raised whether this form of measurement does in fact help us understand the nature and causes of satisfaction that arises from tourist experiences.
