Impactingservice quality on tourists’ satisfaction: a case studyof the buu long tourist inbien hoa city

IMPACTINGSERVICE QUALITY ON TOURISTS’ SATISFACTION: A CASE STUDYOF THE BUU LONG TOURIST INBIEN HOA CITY

 

Phan Thanh Tam1 and Vu Duc Cuong 2

1,2Lac Hong University (LHU)

Email: 1 phthtam74@gmail.comand 2cuongvd@lhu.edu.vn

 

ABSTRACT

 

Visitor satisfaction is an essential aspect that directly affects the success of destination marketing because it has a direct impact on destination choice and consumption. Goods, services, and decided to return. Besides, Buu Long tourism area is one of the diverse tourism areas of great significance in Bien Hoa city and contributes to promoting the growing tourism industry of Dong Nai province. Through the study of factors affecting the quality of tourism services on visitors’ satisfaction at Buu Long tourism area. The research results of 650 visitors from May 2020 to July 2020 and five factors are affecting the quality of tourism services and satisfaction of tourists at Buu Long tourism area, respectively: Reliability; Empathy; Responsiveness; Competence and Tangibles. This factor is a scientific basis to help the Buu Long Tourist Area Management Board improve the quality of tourism services to enhance visitors’ satisfaction.

Keywords:Service, quality, tourist, satisfaction, and LHU.

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Currently, ecotourism is a form of great significance in the process of exploiting tourism potentials of Dong Nai province in general and Buu Long tourist area in particular. Competition between tourist areas is fierce; the competition for quality of services forces ecotourism sites to restructure to increase their competitive advantage, and survival is inevitable. The Eco-calendar of Buu Long and Bien Hoa city is no exception. In the context of a secure regional and international economic integration, besides the possible opportunities, the Buu Long ecotourism area must always face significant challenges in industrial revolution 4.0. Buu Long tourism area, service quality considered the most objective and accurate measure of the success of the tourist sites. However, service quality must depend on many different factors. One of the factors that most influence the quality of ecotourism services is the natural environment plus facilities. They realize the importance of service quality tourism Buu Long. In the service sector, especially tourism services, the provision of products/services that satisfy customers is always a top priority. Currently, the tourism market has the fierce competition between enterprises operating in the industry, between new companies joining the industry and those with the potential to enter the industry. Buu Long tourist is to grasp customers' tastes, occupy market share, and attract customers; businesses are trying to satisfy visitors by Al A., M. (2019).

Besides, the analysis of visitor satisfaction is an area of ​​research that is of interest to many scientists and managers. According to Bowen & Clarke (2002), visitor satisfaction defined as a reflection of the perceived, emotional, and attitudes of visitors towards the tourism service. This satisfaction influenced by many factors, such as pre-trip expectations and actual traveler experiences concerning the service provided. Therefore, the authorshave bravely studied the factors affecting the quality of tourism services of Buu Long tourism area at Bien Hoacity in Dong Nai province. This result is a scientific basis to help managers improve the quality of tourism services in the future.

 

LITERATURE REVIEW

 

Service quality(SQ)

 

Service quality is a controversial and controversial concept in many documents. Depending on the subject and different research environment, each researcher gives different service quality concepts:

According to Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988): Service quality is the gap between visitor expectation and visitor perception when using the service. According to Zeithaml (1987), service quality is the assessment of the traveler's transcendence and general greatness of an entity. Service quality is a kind of attitude, consequences from a comparison of what to expect, and perception of what we received.Besides, the quality of tourism service, also known as the quality of tourism service, is the crucial factor that creates the prestige and brand name of each tourism business unit in particular and the tourism industry in general, according to Al A., M. (2019). The affirmation of each tourism business shown in respecting customers, always releasing many new products, improving the team's quality in travel services, and saving money and middle stages(Aliman, N. (2016).

The quality of tourism services and the factors constituting the quality of service at tourist attractions (also known as destinations) have been studied quite profoundly on a global scale. It becomes the most critical concept in scientific research and the tourism business practice of businesses by CH & Omar, K. (2014). Service quality is seen as the gap between service expectations and customer perception when using the service by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988); Gronoss (1984). The authors defined service quality as The relationship between what a customer wants from a service and what they receive. Due to the inability of the service's direct contact, indissolubility, variability, and failure, customer satisfaction criteria may include the signal language the customer uses to evaluate service quality and is the basis for decisions about future returns by Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeilthaml, and Leonard L. Berry(1985).

Research by the authors of Spreng, Richard A., Scott B. MacKenzie & Richard W. Olshavsky(1996) determines perceptions of a tourist destination's attributes as the degree to which tourists find it. Diversified services, as well as facilities, are essential in promoting their satisfaction in tourist attractions. According to Mukhles Al-Ababneh (2015), Factors influencing the quality of tourism service in Jordan journal of tourism research. The research results show that there are five factors affecting tourism service quality in Jordan, with a significant 5 percent level. Reliability (Rel), Tangible (Tan), Response (Res), Empathy (Emp), Competence (Com). Based on the studies analyzed above, Mukhles Al-Ababneh's (2015) research and Servqual's theory of service quality of Parasuraman. Summary: Service quality is a form of attitude, a comparative perception of travelers between visitor expectations of the service and visitor perceptions of what they receive from the supplier and service level by Mukhles Al-Ababneh (2015).Service quality including (1) Reliability, (2) Empathy, (3) Responsiveness, (4) Competence, and (5) Tangibles.The authors build the research model as follows.

 

Visitors’ satisfaction (VS)

 

Visitors’ satisfaction defined as the customer's response to the job that is met with expectations when the customer had rated these positive and negative experiences.  The reaction of the customer goods had against the difference between what the customer wants and received. And an overall customer had an attitude toward a service provider. Or a customer's emotional response to the difference between what a customer predicts and what they receive. Regarding performance, some of their needs, goals, or desires by Rich et al. (2015).

Summary:When the visitor is satisfied with the goods and the business's service quality, the business's ability to continue to buy products is very high. On the other hand, when visitors are satisfied, they recommend and talk well about the business's products to others by Rafat Beigpoor Shahrivar (2012).For the tourism industry, visitor satisfaction helps the tourism industry:

• Increase the number of visitors to visit.
• Increase profits for the tourism industry.
• Increase the competitiveness of the tourism industry compared to other sectors.
• Create a reputation and develop a brand name for the tourism industry.

 

(Source: Researchersproposed)

Figure 1. A research model for impacting service quality on visitors’ satisfaction at Buu Long tourist area

 

METHODS OF RESEARCH

 

In this paper, the authorsare applying a combination of two research methods: qualitative research and quantitative research following:

 

(Source: Researcherproposed)

Figure 2. The research process for impacting service quality on visitors’ satisfaction at Buu Long tourist area

In this research paper, the authors used qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is an approach that seeks to describe and analyze the sample characteristics and behavior of experts and groups of visitors from the researcher's point of view.

In qualitative research, the authors used ten experts in the tourism field, namely ten managers of tourist sites in Dong Nai province. Quantitative analysis: In this study, the authors collects data with a sample of 650 tourists. The study period is from May 2020 to July 2020 at the Buu Long tourism area, Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province. According to Hoang Trong and Chu Nguyen Mong Ngoc (2008). The authors tested the scale. Analyze the reliability of the levels assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Finally, the authors examined the model and proposed recommendations.

 

RESEARCH RESULTS

 

The researcher had the scale reliability tests for industry 4.0impact the bank service of commercial banks in Dong Nai province.

Table 1. Testingfor impacting service quality on visitors’ satisfaction at Buu Long tourist

 

Table 01 showed the scale's reliability for factors such as Reliability; Empathy; Responsiveness; Tangibles, and Competence. The quality of service and visitors’ satisfaction is due to Cronbach's Alpha coefficient greater than 0.6.

 

Table 2. Model summary for Testing for impacting service quality on visitors’ satisfaction at Buu Long tourist

 

Table 02 showed the positive regression coefficients and the significance level of less than 0.01. Besides, the results have five independent factors above affecting the quality of tourism services and service quality affecting visitor satisfaction. Moreover, the model does not violate assumptions.

 

CONCLUSIONS&POLICY IMPLICATIONS

 

Conclusions

 

The primary purpose of the study is to measure the factors affecting service quality ofBuu Long tourism area, Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province, and service quality affects visitor satisfaction. Based on the research results, the authors propose governance implications to improve service quality and visitor satisfaction at Buu Long tourism, Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province. Research results show that five factors affect service quality: Reliability; Empathy; Responsiveness; Tangibles, and Competence. There is the quality of tourism services at Buu Long tourism area, Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province, which is the foundation, a necessary condition in a strategy to retain tourists and build a system of loyal tourists. And making tourists more satisfied is that tourism creates a definite plus in the mind and feeling of visitors. 

 

Policy implications

 

First of all,the staff needs to understand the needs and expectations of visitors to respond best and promptly. The service staff must be professional in service knowledge and skills, including communication languages, and avoid unnecessary errors. Visitors' issues need to be addressed and adequately addressed when they request. Tourist areas must diversify services such as entertainment, dining. Tourism areas must have consistency and reliability in providing both quantity and quality services to tourists. Finally, the next research direction is to continue to increase the number of surveyed samples, improve the independent variables, and finally compare this result with previous studies for a more objective and scientific view.The quality of tourism services is one of the critical factors to help the tourism industry develop sustainably, is a crucial factor in creating prestige, brand not only for translation business units. Tourism but also for the tourism industry of the Dong Nai province.

Secondly, Buu Long continues to improve service to tourists; visitors respected and treated when visiting tourism with all subjects. Visitors need attention, specific instructions, and enthusiasm. Besides, visitors need to be guided thoughtfully and in detail of services and products when visiting tourism. Service staff must show attention to the needs of visitors, always take care of customers at the best destination and still respect and listen to each visitor. Management and staff need to quickly handle problems that occur during the service to satisfy visitors.Standardizing tourism services helps businesses ensure service quality and introduces tourists to high-quality destinations, service providers, and goods to feel secure to shop. It contributes to increasing the length of stay to visit, promoting spending, and increasing foreign currency income from tourism.

Thirdly,Buu Long tourism area continues to invest in more modern equipment and tourist services such as tram to transport tourists at the tourist destination convenient for tourists at the tourist destination. Keeping to upgrade construction works in tourism: should have modern parking space with the magnetic card, waiting room, box office, souvenir shop, restaurant, modern deodorant toilets must be green and clean friendly at a tourist spot. Complete information instructions in the tourist area: new signs, information boards, leaflets must be clear and easy to see at tourist sites. Continue to build beautiful landscapes, protect the environment, have many trees, be preserved, embellished, and be arranged in harmony with nature. To improve the quality of tourism services, in the coming time, Dong Nai will continue to increase investment in tourism infrastructure; to train human resources and promote tourism promotion and promotion. Tourism businesses must strengthen the association, diversify tourism products, and promptly connect with functional industries to find new directions for tourism development. At the same time, it will remove difficulties and obstacles in the process of tourism and service activities, thereby contributing to making Dong Nai an attractive, highly competitive, and prestigious destination on the tourist map of the country.

Fourthly, Buu Long continues to upgrade the process of displaying goods, scientific food, convenient for tourists to shop. Besides, Buu Long tourism area should ensure quality, hygiene, and food safety at the tourist site. Buu Long tourism area performs robust security, order, safety, and insurance for visitors, always has a team on duty 24/24 when visitors visit. Tourism management and staff need to perform services adequately as committed to meet the increasing demand of tourists.Building and raising awareness for people: (1) Disseminating policies, laws, and regulations on the tourism service business regularly, continuously and widely; (2) Develop and implement criteria to serve tourists for people directly participating in service at restaurants, hotels, shopping spots. With skills, attitude, profession, and style of service. Services and people indirectly serving (such as people, suppliers of other products and services), exceptional attention to migrants participating in the tourism supply chain; (3) Organizing training courses, propaganda business culture, and tourism quality for all classes of people, tourism business establishments.

Finally, Buu Long continues to respond to tourists' needs, needing to be met quickly and thoroughly, such as food, drinks, and other entertainment services for children in the tourist destination. At any time, services need to be fully and quickly provided at the tourist destination to avoid unnecessary shortages; there is always a backup staff when the big holidays of the year. Additional support services must meet each visitor's requirements; especially foreign visitors also need to improve the quality of the staff to fully meet the style of serving tourists like English and communication skills.They advocate policies, specific messages, action movements on price, food safety, and hygiene, quality as committed, fire prevention, security, order, and social ethics.Launching a campaign of people to behave civilized, wholeheartedly supporting, helping, and creating a beautiful image for tourists; ensure environmental hygiene. Each tourist area or site should check for inadequacies in infrastructure that affect product development. There are advantages of river, lake and sea tourism, and it is necessary to focus on building a system of ports and wharves to ensure convenient and safe reception of passengers. It is required to take into account the capacity and arrangement of the parking area with sufficient size. They prioritize the development of the resort complex combined with entertainment and shopping centers, creating a variety of quality and diversified products that meet the needs of rest and are a shopping destination for tourists and people. Local people, and at the same time organized into an attractive tourist spot, suitable for many different types of guests.

 

REFERENCES

 

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