Service Quality Management Practices of Hotel Entrepreneurs in Southern Provinces

Abstract

This research aimed (1) to study expectation and perception of tourists towards service quality management practices of hotel entrepreneurs in southern provinces, (2) to compare expectation and perception of tourists towards service quality management practices of hotel entrepreneurs in southern provinces, and (3) to compare expectation of tourists with different demographic characteristics and hotel-stay behaviors using quantitative research. Data were collected using questionnaire technique. Samples were 400 Thai and foreign tourists.  Findings revealed the following: 1. Level of expectation and perception of tourists towards service management of hotels in general was found to be high, while considering each aspect, the aspects of equality of service, no animal abuse or cruelty, and no direct or indirect prostitution were ranked respectively. 2. When levels of expectation and perception of tourists were compared, it was found that the level of expectation was higher than perception, either on environmental issues or other issues of global concern that reflected their dissatisfaction with service quality management practices of hotel entrepreneurs. 3. When levels of expectation of tourists were classified by demographic characteristics and hotel-stay behaviors, either on environmental issues and other issues of global concern, it was found that differences in nationality, star rating of hotel on latest stay, star rating of most frequently stayed hotel, objective of stay, hotel-stay behaviors, and length of stay or the number of room-night spent at the hotel led to differences in levels of their expectation.