But are tourists satisfied? Importance-performance analysis of the whale shark tourism industry on Isla Holbox, Mexico

The objective of this paper is to understand the motivations and satisfactions of whale shark tour participants on Isla Holbox, Mexico in order to assess the success of this industry in meeting customer expectations. Whale shark tour participants were provided with a list of environmental and setting features and asked to rate the importance of, and satisfaction with, each feature. Importance-performance (IP) analysis was used to compare these scores and identify areas of management concern. The IP analysis identified key issues with false advertising, lack of educational information, perceived crowding, and tour cost. These factors are representative of larger issues related to the uncontrolled growth of the whale shark tourism industry on Holbox. Management should focus on limiting the growth of the industry, ensuring the equitable distribution of economic benefits within the industry, and developing and implementing effective guide training and interpretation programs.

► We examined the human dimensions of whale shark tourism on Isla Holbox, Mexico.
► We assessed participant satisfaction with setting features and tour services.
► Analysis identified problems with advertising, interpretation, crowding, and cost.
► These factors reflect larger issues with uncontrolled growth of industry on Holbox.
► Management should focus on limiting growth of the industry and improving tour quality.