This research study is on the travel industry. The two research questions examined were as follows:
1. What are the most critical factors that must be addressed by travel agency management to assure success in the dynamic environment within which the travel industry must function?
2. What type of management style is best suited to the conditions prevalent in the tourism industry?
The purpose of this research study was to identify the factors crucial to success in tourism management. Most factors crucial to success are universal across enterprise types. Even among these more or less universal factors, however, some require relatively more emphasis in some industries. Further, the way a specific factor is addressed may vary substantially from one industry to another.
A sample of 50 single office travel agency managers from the Davenport, Iowa Moline, Illinois area were selected through the application of random procedures. Of the 50 persons contacted, 38 (76 percent) agreed to participate, and usable data collection questionnaires were received from 31 (62 percent). The 31 individuals were the research sample for this study.
The data collection questionnaire developed data relative to both factors crucial to the success of travel agency management and effective management styles for the tourism industry. Factors crucial for successful travel agency management and appropriate management styles were identified
through the testing of the responses of members of the research sample for statistical significance.
Statistical significance was tested through the application of goodness of fit chi square analysis to the data. Separate goodness of fit analyses were performed for each success factor
and each management style assessed by members of the research sample. The criterion for the determination of statistical significance was p<.05.
The research results found that joint operations with other el...