SERVICE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FOR SENIOR TOURISTS AT HOTELS AND RESORTS IN THE PERCEPTION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS: NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the perceptions of service quality improvement among the senior tourists staying in hotels and resorts of the Nakhon Ratchasima province. This qualitative research uses Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry’s (1990) service quality model as a theoretical conceptual framework. The in-depth interview method was applied to collect data from five hotel and resort providers in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand. Findings of the content analysis show that hotel and resort managers place great importance on all five dimensions of service quality: 1) Tangible assets, 2) Reliability, 3) Responsiveness, 4) Assurance, and 5) Empathy. Importantly, managers value front-line employees and safety because these are the key factors in attracting senior tourists to hotels and resorts. The findings of this study can be used as guidelines in further improvement of service quality which will benefit the hotel and resort operators as well as government agencies responsible for tourism and hospitality service development.