The Impact of Customer-to-Customer Interaction on Cruise Experience and Vacation Satisfaction

• Published in: Journal of travel research Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 79 - 92
• Main Authors: Huang, Jue, Hsu, Cathy H. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2010; Sage; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Beziehungsmarketing; Cruises; Customer satisfaction; Dienstleistungsqualität; Kreuzfahrt; Kundenzufriedenheit; Relationship marketing; Social interaction; Soziale Beziehungen; Tourism; Urlaubsverhalten; USA; Vacations; tourist-to-tourist interaction; customer-to-customer interaction; relationship marketing; vacation satisfaction; cruise experience
• ISSN: 0047-2875; 1552-6763
• DOI: 10.1177/0047287509336466

While the role of customer-to-customer (C2C) interaction in shaping service experience has been recognized in the services marketing literature, empirical examination of this issue is limited. Similarly, investigation of tourists’ social contacts has mainly focused on the tourist—local community and tourist—service personnel dyads, while much less is known about tourist-to-tourist interactions. To fill this knowledge gap, this study has examined interaction between tourists on cruise vacations and its impact on the cruise experience and vacation satisfaction. An online survey is conducted with an American online panel (n = 613). The findings reveal that the quality of C2C interaction has positive direct impacts on the cruise experience as well as indirect effects on vacation satisfaction, mediated by cruise experience. Moreover, the quality of C2C interaction has suppressor effects on the quantity of C2C interaction. The results call for the incorporation of C2C interaction as one component of the relationship marketing theory.