Xi 'an Tourism Consulting Center Service Function Optimization Research

With the rapid development of tourism industry worldwide, tourism activities have become increasingly more popular, more normalized, and more individual, and tourists need more comprehensive tourism public service system of destination city. As a necessary safeguard of city tourism service, tourism public service system is an important item to measure the development level of tourism in a nation or area. As an important part of tourism public service system, tourism information center(TIC) is a typical public institution which provides information consulting and other services for tourists (especially the foreign independent tourists).The development level of TIC has became an important index to measure whether the city tourism functions and tourism public service system are complete.In recent years, driven by national policies, major tourist cities in China have established tourism information centers. Xi’an tourism information centers welcome a large number of domestic and foreign tourists since2009, and have played a certain social benefits. As a leading city of "Guan zhong-Tian shui"’economic zone and a central regional tourist city, in the context of building an international metropolis and a world-class tourist destination city, Xi’an, need to improve urban tourism services, and build perfect tourism advisory service system. It’s necessary to optimize the service functions of Xi’an Tourism information centers to meet the visitors’ demands, and to promote the development of tourism industry.This study focuses on Xi’an TIC, optimize the service functions from the microscopic (service quality) and macroscopic (spatial layout) aspects. In microscopic aspects, uses service quality management theory and designs questionnaire based on SERVQUAL scale. According to data obtained by the questionnaire, uses factor analysis to amend the SERVQUAL scale, than obtains TIC service quality scale to measure service quality of Xi’an TIC. According to the results, this study uses IPA analysis to put forward improvement strategies. In macroscopic aspects, under the guidance of location theory, combined with the characteristics of TIC, this study proposes spatial layout principles and site selection strategies of TIC. Then evaluates the spatial layout of the tourism information centers in Xi’an and proposes optimization strategies.The main conclusions of this research are as follows:1.SERVQUAL scale is basically applied to measure the quality of tourism information center. Service quality scale of tourism information center consists of6dimensions and17items. The dimensions are:tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and convenience.2.There is significant difference between visitor’s expectations and perceptions of service quality. Visitor’s expectations is lower than perceptions, and the overall service quality of Xi’an TIC is low.3. Using IPA analysis to analyze the items which need to be improved or maintained, which have lower priorities, and which are over-supplied.4. The Spatial layout principles of TIC are:people-oriented, system integrated, maximize the range of services, maximize the service effect, balance the Supply and demand. The location modes are:city center mode, transport hub mode, scenic mode, suburbs mode and multiple mode.5. The optimization strategies of Xi’an TIC conclude:Building a spatial hierarchical network system; and increasing the number of sites, expanding the scope of TIC.The innovations of this study are:①try to use SERVQUAL scale to measure the quality of the tourism information center;②try to study the tourism information center from the micro and macro level,which provides a new perspective.