Tourism service failure, service recovery, and negative word-of-mouth: three-country comparison using a choice experiment

This study analyzes service failures and recovery impacts on group tours using choice experiments and conditional logit models. It assesses negative word-of-mouth likelihood based on failures in food outlets, travel agencies, and scenic spots, and recovery actions like apologies, refunds, and punishment. Results show forced purchases, itinerary changes, and food sanitation significantly influence negative word-of-mouth. Preferences for recovery measures differ among Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean tourists, with Chinese favoring punitive actions, Japanese and South Koreans preferring refunds, and South Koreans finding personal apologies more acceptable.