HISTOQUAL Heritage Service Quality Scale

HISTOQUAL is a service-quality assessment scale developed by Isabelle Frochot and Howard Hughes in 2000 specifically for historic houses and, by extension, heritage attractions. Recognizing that the generic SERVQUAL model did not fully capture the heritage visitor experience, the authors retained three SERVQUAL dimensions — tangibles, responsiveness, and empathy — and added two dimensions specific to the heritage context: communications (the quality of interpretation, signage, and information) and consumables (the supporting facilities such as catering, shops, and amenities). The result is a five-dimension instrument that measures perceived service quality at heritage sites in terms that matter to visitors, from the condition and atmosphere of the property to how well its story is told and how comfortable the visit is.