Perceptions of package tour providers about tipping in Taiwan

Tipping is not customary for the general public in many countries and this subject has impaired both tourism professionals and consumers. Numerous researches have indicated that customers tip because of the level of appreciation they have received. However, the reasons customers tip change over time. A study of service providers in Taiwan about why tourists tip was conducted. The aim of the study was to examine the factors that may influence tour participants to tip tour leaders when participating in a guided package tour. The qualitative approach - first Internet discussions, followed by semi-structured interviews with travel agencies and tour leaders - was adopted for data collection. This study identified five factors - social pressure, selfish economic behaviour, perceived equity, service performance, and company’s tipping policies - as key influences on tour participants’ tipping propensity. Among them, travel agencies’ tipping policies, selfish economic consideration, and social pressure have the greatest likelihood in making tourists tip. This study contributes to the considerable literature on tipping and can assist travel agencies in Taiwan to draw up appro-priate tipping policies. It is expected that this research will also offer a tipping framework for further exploration