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Promoting service excellence for tourist destinations

Marit Gundersen Engeset (School of Business, University College of Southeast Norway, Kongsberg, Norway)
John S. Hull (Department of Tourism Management, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, Canada and the School of Business, University College of Southeast Norway, Kongsberg, Norway)
Jan Velvin (School of Business, University College of Southeast Norway, Kongsberg, Norway)

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research

ISSN: 1750-6182

Article publication date: 3 October 2016

2031

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction and its impacts on the long-term sustainability of Hemsedal Ski Resort, Norway.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed method approach. Focusing on the case of Hemsedal, Norway, the authors employ survey design to measure employee service attitudes as well as guest satisfaction and loyalty. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis is used to investigate the relationships between the constructs.

Findings

Results from the four-year programme reveal that the correlation between employee service attitude and customer experience is strongest for behavioural loyalty which was found to have a direct and observable effect for the customer and that working to teach and train employees is important. Further, results showed that guest satisfaction with service not only influenced loyalty to the company that provided the service, but also loyalty to the destination where the company was situated. In explaining the relationships between levels of employee service attitude, customer satisfaction and community sustainability at Hemsedal ski resort, results showed that through partnership and cooperation, training and development have benefitted the individual companies, the destination and local community at large.

Practical implications

Results suggest that managers of tourism destinations should focus on employee motivation and training to improve their guests’ satisfaction and loyalty, their competitiveness and sustainability for the future.

Originality/value

The Service Excellence Project at Hemsedal, Norway demonstrates that mountain destinations can have a positive influence on their competitiveness and their sustainability by instituting a programme that works with employees, customers and businesses to promote a climate of service excellence.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by The Norwegian Research Council, Project ID 233681 VRI Buskerud.

Citation

Engeset, M.G., Hull, J.S. and Velvin, J. (2016), "Promoting service excellence for tourist destinations", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 440-454. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-08-2015-0097

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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