Management and Users analysis of Whale Watching Boat at Shi-Ti Harbor in Hualien

• Main Authors: Cheng-Tse Chung, 鍾正則
• Other Authors: Bin-Min Sung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/98223685613206778086

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 觀光暨遊憩管理研究所 === 92 === The study focused on the “Sea Whale” boat in Shi-Ti harbor in Hualien. Actual observing, investigations on Sea Whale’s management, questionnaire handouts to the local tourist were conducted to understand the tourists’ characteristics, motivation, tourists’ satisfaction, factors that influence tourists’ satisfaction, and the correlation between motivation and satisfaction. The importance performance analysis was utilized to analyze strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Sea Whale’s management. The analysis results were used to interview the Whale’s owner. Based on the interviews and data analysis’ result, the study makes supplemental explanation. Both tourists and tour provider who engaged in whale sighting during 12 weekdays and weekends in July, August, and September, 2002, were surveyed on-site with questionnaires, yielding 357 usable questionnaires. The results indicated that the majority of the Sea Whale’s tourists were single, highly educated, med-class income, northern-cities inhabitants, of tour group, with more than 80% of them willing to come back again, and more than 90% to refer someone new. Tourists’ motivations include 5 categories: (1) sight seeing and relaxation, (2) family gathering, (3) experiences the wild, (4) escape from pressure, and (5) opportunities for making new friends, where the first four motives are the most important. As far as satisfactory is concerned, Sea Whale’s tourists were very satisfied with their whale watching experience. “Distance to whale watching” serves as the most important factor that influence tourists’ satisfaction. Five conclusions were drawn: First, tourists are highly homogenous and very willing to come back. Second, tourists’ main motivations are to experience the wild and relax. Third, “distance to whale watching” and “whether the sighting occurs”, compared to other factors, contribute less in raising tourists’ satisfactions. Fourth, the “distance to whale watching” is the most important factor that influences tourists’ satisfaction. Fifth, the expectancy theory is supported. Based on these study results, suggestions are made and limitations of the study proposed.