Measurement modelling of the perceived service quality of a sightseeing bus service: An application of hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis

Sightseeing buses were taken to use as main vehicles for students' excursions because of a large number of students participating in each trip. Schools should give significant importance to good quality sightseeing buses. This study aimed to develop the indicators monitoring and evaluating sightseeing bus services. This study examined the sightseeing tour buses' service quality factors according to 27 parameters applied as criteria for evaluating and improving service. Data were gathered from 3387 teachers and educational staff involved with educational field trips. The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) classified the parameters into three groups: vehicles, drivers and crews, and management factors. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the factor structure. The findings verified that the 27 parameters can indicate three perspectives of quality performance. CFA loading scores were quite high, implying that the parameters had strong potential usefulness for assessing sightseeing bus service quality. Likewise, the second-order CFA found that the three aforementioned latent variables are powerful indicators of tour service quality level at the 0.01 significance level. In this regard, the factor of vehicles exhibited the largest CFA loading (β=0.935). The results of this study potentially provide schools or entrepreneurs for the development of check list in assessing sightseeing bus quality which will make each trip more comfortable in travelling and safety.