This study is concerned with the evaluation of the service quality performance of the business partners of small and medium-sized travel agencies. Assessment dimensions and criteria were collected from 36 senior travel managers using the critical incident technique (CIT) and from 56 general managers at different travel agencies using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to calculate overall weights and priorities for each criterion. The research results indicated that 'timely information', 'the particularity of the scenic spot' and 'vehicle quality' were the three primary evaluation criteria. The results are intended to assist foreign tour operators in improving their service quality and performance and, moreover, to provide small and medium-sized Chinese travel agencies with objective evaluation criteria for choosing the most appropriate business partners.
