Are travellers satisfied with Malaysian hotels?

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to examine the factors that measure different satisfaction levels between the Asian and Western travellers during their stay in hotels in Malaysia. The paper also seeks to analyse the importance of the tangible and intangible factors in the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach -The research questions are utilised to measure the differences between Asian and Western perception of hotel attributes. A questionnaire with five-point Likert scale is applied to measure customer satisfaction. Data is analysed using SPSS software by employing factor analysis, multiple regression, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Findings -Results indicate that there are significant differences between Asian and Western evaluations of hotel quality, with clear indication that satisfaction levels Malaysian hotels were higher among Western travellers than the Asian travellers. Both Asian and Western travellers perceive hospitality as an influential factor in determining the overall satisfaction level.Research limitations/implications -The limitation of the study is that the sample is taken only from travellers who are leaving Malaysia by plane. Future research can be carried out on the travellers arriving at and depart from Malaysia using different mode of transportations. Practical implications -For practitioners, it is worth noting that Asian travellers are exclusively concerned with the value for money services, while Western travellers regard security and safety, and food and beverage as important factors for them to stay in the hotels or revisit the country. Originality/value -Malaysia is an emerging market for tourism industry and the information obtained from the travellers can be utilised to enhance a much more efficient marketing strategy in the hotel industry. This paper contains material relevant to education as well as to the tourism industry, and implementable solutions are sufficiently well suggested.

Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction Related to the Tourist Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka

“…Hospitality is the most important factor affecting greatly the satisfaction and dissatisfaction among the tourists (Poon & Low, 2005). The tourists' first impression about the hotel is more important and it will affect the entire evaluation about the facilities and offerings of the hotel and their satisfaction.…”

“…Similarly, the negative WOM publicity will bring more negative results to a business. Poon and Low (2005) did an empirical study to identify the satisfaction levels of the tourists about the facilities of the Malaysian hotels using two sample groups, i.e., Western and Asian travelers. The findings highlighted that the Asian tourists are satisfied with the following factors, i.e., price levels, food and beverages, hospitality of the host, recreational and entertainment facilities, accommodation facilities, location, transportation, security and safety, and payments respectively.…”

“…The researchers have identified the quality and customer satisfaction as the best differentiation strategy (Poon & Low, 2005;Pizam & Ellis, 1999). Therefore, the hoteliers should take necessary steps to identify the satisfaction levels of their customers.…”

“…Satisfaction has been defined by researchers based on the interaction and relationship between the customer's pre-purchase expectations and the post-purchase evaluation of the products and services that they have consumed (Poon & Low, 2005;Vavra, 1997;Krippendorf, 1987;Cha, McCleary, & Uysal, 1995;Engel, Blackwell, & Miniard, 1990;Handy, 1977). According to Hayes (1997), understanding of customer expectations and satisfaction is important for two reasons.…”

The Effect of Process Quality and Outcome Quality on Tourist Loyalty in the Hotel Industry

“…Most measurements of service quality emphasize process quality (Ekinci Prokopaki & Cobanoglu, 2003;Mei et al, 1999;Mey Akbar, , & Fie, 2006;Mola and Jusoh, 2011;Poon and Low, 2005;Razalli, 2008;Rizal, 2008). Service quality is an important factor to achieving success in attracting frequent visitors (Akbaba, 2006;Lovelock, 1983;Saleh and Rayn 1991;So et al, 2013).…”