Perceptions of the Spa Industry: An Importance Performance Analysis

This article examines factors influencing the behavior of foreign customers who use spa services in Koh Samui, Thailand. Specifically, it considers the relationship between customer expectations and the fulfillment of those expectations within two foreign visitor target groups—holiday-takers and business people—as a way to gauge the performance of spas on Koh Samui. Results support the contention that the spa industry on the island needs to improve in a number of ways and stakeholders tasked with developing the industry are well-advised to consider the expectations of both groups rather than treating the two as homogenous.