Analysis of the Service Concept in Order to Improve the Service Experience for Incoming Tourists in the Copenhagen Area: Implications of a New Customer Experience Design for Hotels and Attractions to Increase Incoming Tourism Customer Satisfaction

Abstract

Studies have shown that the level of customer service in Denmark has always been just about average,in retail as well as hospitality. In 2013, an innovation project within the Copenhagen tourism industrywas launched in an attempt to shift focus from providing customers with a standardised service to apersonalised service experience. This dissertation contributes to an investigation of the effects of thisproject and how the service concept might be improved. The findings are based on a multiple-casestudy of two organisations attached to the project and two others not attached in an attempt to drawa comparison between the four organisations and determine the effects of the project and possiblecausality of an increase in customer satisfaction. An investigation was also conducted of two of themajor players in the industry, and part of the steering committee behind the project, HORESTA andWonderful Copenhagen, to explore implications of the aforementioned project. Six qualitativeinterviews were conducted as well as one quantitative questionnaire survey at one of the casecompanies in order to obtain supporting data. In addition, qualitative observations have been appliedto the findings. A thematic analysis of all six interviews has been carried out in order to detect themesand subthemes revealing the case companies’ most prominent focus areas for creating and deliveringexperiences. The themes have then been analysed in relation to the service concept as well as theinnovation project.The implications of the project for HORESTA and Wonderful Copenhagen indicate thatat present time a theoretical framework for measuring the effects of the project has yet to bepublished, meaning that part of the study is inconclusive. A suggestion has subsequently been madeto monitor future initiatives in a more structured manner to enhance the service experience that takesits departure from the innovation project.