Evaluation of a Public Relations Agency (PRA)’s Performance of Promoting Tourism Using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA)

This article presents parts of the findings of a case study that evaluated the performance of a National Tourism Office (NTO)-appointed public relations agency (PRA) in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Using importance-performance analysis (IPA), it highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the PRA based on the perceptions of its publics. In-depths interviews were undertaken with 38 media personnel and 14 travel agents/tour operators in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. The IPA grids showed that the PRA’s strengths were in the areas of professionalism, responsiveness, and communication, while its weakness was in the area of efficiency of service and advice. It was concluded that the media personnel and travel agents/tour operators were basically satisfied with the PRA’s performance, although there is still room for improvement. In other words, although the PRA seemed to perform well enough in the areas of responsiveness, professionalism, and communication, the materials it provided lacked in-depth information which reflected an inadequate knowledge of Malaysia needed by tour operators to be able to package and promote Malaysian tourism well.

importance-performance analysis (IPA), public relations agency (PRA), media personnel, travel agents/tour operators, Malaysian tourism

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