Service quality determinants in historic centers: analysis of user generated content from the perspective of the TOURQUAL protocol

Abstract

The present study aims to explore the service quality determinants in historic centers (HC) by applying a user-generated content analysis with indicators of the TOURQUAL protocol for evaluating the quality of tourist services as the theoretical basis. We analyze 7,849 reviews from 9 HC (5 Brazilians and 4 Portuguese), from January 2019 to September 2020, available on TripAdvisor and Google Maps platforms. The findings demonstrate that the dimensions of technical quality, experience, and environment are the most identified among the reviews. Additionally, we noticed a lack of use of Unesco titles as marketing strategy. The research proposes a model of importance for dimensions of quality of service in historic centers that enables managers to improve the quality of tourist services