The relationship among tourists' involvement, place attachment and interpretation satisfaction in Taiwan's national parks

The interpretation service in national parks plays an important role in the overall quality of the parks. It can assist in explaining services provided by the parks, the eco-system of the area and management regulations emanating from the national parks' headquarters. Bricker and Kerstetter (Leisure Sci. 22 (2000) 233) point out that there is a relationship between tourists' involvement and place attachment. Therefore, this study uses the interpretation service of five National Parks in Taiwan as an empirical study to create a relationship model for tourists' involvement, interpretation service quality and place attachment. Data from over 2400 tourists attending the reserved interpretation were collected from January to December 2002. The response rate was almost 70%. In this study, a structural equation model is used for theory testing and development. We present a comprehensive two-step modeling approach that employs sequential χ2 difference tests in specification, assessment of fit and respecification of measure model using confirmatory factor analysis. The results show tourists' involvement has a positive significant effect on perceived interpretation service quality, as does place attachment. Also, there is an indirect positive significant effect from place attachment to interpretation satisfaction. Additionally, the study provides some strategic management suggestions for the Taiwan national park service to improve the personal interpretation design of the parks.