RESEARCH MODEL

A research press about Thailand tourism has indicated that visitors will not ignore the personal safety even the travelling cost is low. If customers perceive the terrorism risk about one destination, they will choose another one which is safer. However, some visitors still come to destination of risk, especially backpackers. This result is as same as that of Elsrud (2001) and Lepp and Gibson (2003). It indicates that discoverers like young travelers will see the tourism risk as additional value to attract them to generate their motivation.

Obviously, this is a small amount of people. A destination with many risks will be not able to attract many visitors. If they come there, they also do not satisfy and feel unsafe. Therefore, the perceived risk has great influence on the satisfaction of customers.

2.3 RESEARCH MODEL

Many researchers have defined the satisfaction of customers as “the result of the interaction between perceived value and the expectation of customers of the destination” (Pizam, Neumann, Reichel, 1978 and Oliver, 1980).

Oliver (1980) assumed that the difference between the expected value and the perceived value about the way by which tourism affect customers’ feeling will decide satisfaction level. This definition might make the confusion between the satisfaction and the service quality. However, many researchers have affirmed that the satisfaction and the service quality are related to each other, but they are clearly different definitions (Bitner, 1990; Parasuraman et al., 1988; Baker &

Crompton, 2000). They said that the service quality is the result in assessment of supplier, while the satisfaction is the feeling of customers when they contact or have transactions with suppliers.

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According to Tribe & Snaith (1998), nowadays, there are four popular models to assess the satisfaction level. They are Important-Performance Analysis (IPA), SERVQUAL (Service Quality), HOLSAT (Holiday Satisfaction), and SERVPERF (Service Performance).

+ Holsat model (Holiday satisfaction)

Tribe and Snaith (1998) had developed and used the HOLSAT to assess the satisfaction in famous resort in Varadero, Cuba. This model measures the satisfaction of a customer with his trip experience of the destination, not specific service. Moreover, it does not use fixed list of all general attributes, but a list of particular specific ones. One important feature of the HOLSAT is to consider positive attributes as well as negative ones when it demonstrates primary attribute of a destination. Thus, a destination can be defined with a combination of both types of attributes.

The specialty of this model is the questionnaire in which the respondents will be asked to assess the expectation level of each holiday attribute (their impression before the holiday), and their experience or perception on the ground of the same set of attributes after the holiday. The Likert scale (5 options) is used to give score to each attribute both in “expectation” and in

“perception”. The differences in the scores for each attribute will demonstrate the level of customer satisfaction.

The results are illustrated in a matrix whereby the scores of positive and negative attributes will appear in separated matrixes with the Perception (axis X) and the Expectation (axis Y). The

“won” and “lost” regions are assigned by “line” – 45 degree diagonal one. “Won” represents attributes which consumers meet or exceed. “Lost” represents expectations of consumers that are not met. “Line” is the close combination of the perception and the expectation. Depending on positive or negative characteristics of attributes, the region “Won”, “Lost” will be on left side or on right side of the “Line”. The further the gap between points of attributes and the “Line” is, the greater the satisfaction or dissatisfaction levels of customers are. In case the point is on the “Line”, it means that the perception is not different from customers’ expectation. They are satisfied.

Some research models of the satisfaction of visitors:

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11 Image

Motivation

Future Satisfaction

behavior

Attitude

Figure 2.1 The research model of Tsung Hung Lee

The result of this research including image, motivation, attitude, the influence on the satisfaction and future behavior assumes that the destination image, tourism attitude and motivation have direct influence on the satisfaction and indirect influence on the behavior of customers in the future

12 Environment

Recommend Attractions

Satisfaction

Value for

money Revisit

Climate

Figure 2.2 Research model in Yumi Park

This research is implemented in Jeju island, Korea (including environment, attraction, value of money and climate that have influence on the satisfaction and revisit and introduction to other people). The result illustrates that:

Images of Jeju Island are assessed by four factors: “environment”, “attraction”, “value for money” and “climate”. Three factors including “environment”, “attraction”, and “value for money” have great influence on the satisfaction of customers. Moreover, the satisfaction has influence on the future behaviors. In general, respondents have positive attitude towards the island and they intend to recommend the island to other people.

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Figure 2.3: Research model of Rita Faullant et al.

This research is implemented in Alpine ski resorts. The result demonstrated that the image of a ski destination is analyzed by three factors “luxury”, “family” and “fun”. They have strong interaction between the satisfaction and the image.

Image

Satisfaction

Perceived Risk

Figure 2.4: Research model of Andrew Lepp et al.

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Image and perceived risk: A study of Uganda and its official tourism website. This research was implemented in Uganda, Africa (including the image and the perceived risk). The result demonstrates that before coming to Uganda, 99% of visitors say that they do not know or know a little about Uganda. 95% of visitors reckon its location in Africa. Africa seems to be considered as a dangerous destination. It is difficult to prove it false because there are wild animals in Africa. However, there is the culture which is considered as the Western originality to attract tourists. Therefore, Africa has established a website and other modern promotional materials to reduce the perceived risk and create a positive image in visitors’ eyes. If Africa can handle this aspect as the proposed research, probably they can reduce the perceive risk and improve the destination image.

Perceived Risk Satisfaction

Figure 2.5: Research model of Christine et al.

The research was implemented in China (the perceived risk has influences on the satisfaction). The result demonstrates that over 48% of participants have safe trip. 38.1% of those consider that China is not either “dangerous” or “safe”. 13.9% considers it as “dangerous” or

“extreme dangerous” destination. From these comments, we know that whether customers are satisfied with China or not and they will have decisions in the future.

Depending on the different locations, each author chooses the variables which are related to the satisfaction of customers. Here, the author of the thesis can see a very important feature of Vietnam in general and of Nha Trang City in particular. It is the political stability, good security and safety. Besides, Nha Trang has warm weather and does not have the influence of the disaster.

In addition, the local people are hospitable and a beautiful long beach is suitable for tourism, especially for relaxation tourism. For these reasons, the author decides to use “the perceived risk”

and “the destination image” for the research model.

The proposed research model:

The hypotheses:

H1: The infrastructure and entertainment have positive effect on customer satisfaction.

H2: The attractive destination has positive effect on customer satisfaction.

H3: The perceived risk has negative effect on customer satisfaction.

Thus, the hypotheses demonstrate that the one-way effect of independent variables (the infrastructure and entertainment, the attractive destination and the perceived risk) on dependent ones (the satisfaction of customers).

Conclusion:

In this chapter, the author presents the theoretical foundation related to the satisfaction and builds the proposed research model of customer satisfaction in Nha Trang. The next Chapter 3 illustrates the research methods.

Perceived Risk

Attractive Destination

Infrastructure

Satisfaction

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