The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country

This study delves into the interconnectedness service quality (SQ) and tourist satisfaction (TS) within the tourism sector of a developing country such as Bangladesh. It takes into account the fluctuating levels of COVID-19 fear as a contributing factor to this dynamic. The research illuminates the...

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Main Authors: Md. Abu Issa Gazi, Md. Aminul Islam, Abdullah Al Masud, Abdul Rahman bin S. Senathirajah, Sukanta Biswas, Razuan Ahmed Shuvro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Cogent Social Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2331079
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author Md. Abu Issa Gazi
Md. Aminul Islam
Abdullah Al Masud
Abdul Rahman bin S. Senathirajah
Sukanta Biswas
Razuan Ahmed Shuvro
author_facet Md. Abu Issa Gazi
Md. Aminul Islam
Abdullah Al Masud
Abdul Rahman bin S. Senathirajah
Sukanta Biswas
Razuan Ahmed Shuvro
author_sort Md. Abu Issa Gazi
collection DOAJ
description This study delves into the interconnectedness service quality (SQ) and tourist satisfaction (TS) within the tourism sector of a developing country such as Bangladesh. It takes into account the fluctuating levels of COVID-19 fear as a contributing factor to this dynamic. The research illuminates the critical role of COVID-19 fear in shaping guest satisfaction and how differing fear levels influence guest expectations and experiences. In this study, MGA and PLS-SEM was employed to assess 420 sets of tourist data collected from various hotels and restaurants in Bangladesh. Through this, the study identifies distinct service quality (SQ) dimensions that significantly impact tourist satisfaction (TS) across various COVID-19 fear categories. The findings underline the need for accommodation providers to tailor their services and safety measures to match guests’ specific fear levels, emphasizing the importance of empathetic staff behavior and effective communication of safety measures. The framework suggested in this study holds substantial significance, and it is recommended that policymakers in Bangladesh integrate this model into their considerations when devising strategies for the tourism industry. The research provides insights that are relevant for the hospitality sector in Bangladesh, suggesting strategies to enhance guest satisfaction based on accommodation category and COVID-19 fear levels. Finally, future research directions are outlined, emphasizing the evolving dynamic of COVID-19’s impact, the role of technology, and the integration of diverse service evaluation constructs to enhance explanatory models.
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spelling doaj-art-5e524ba586574e02acfd29d2b85605c32025-08-20T04:03:24ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862024-12-0110110.1080/23311886.2024.2331079The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing countryMd. Abu Issa Gazi0Md. Aminul Islam1Abdullah Al Masud2Abdul Rahman bin S. Senathirajah3Sukanta Biswas4Razuan Ahmed Shuvro5Faculty of Business and Communication, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN Putra Nilai, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaFaculty of Business and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, MalaysiaDepartment of Management Studies, University of Barishal, Barishal, BangladeshFaculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN Putra Nilai, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaDepartment of Management, Bajua Surendranath College, Bajua, Dacope-Khulna, BangladeshDepartment of Human Resource Management, Jatiya kabi kazi Nazrul Islam University, Mymensingh, Trishal, BangladeshThis study delves into the interconnectedness service quality (SQ) and tourist satisfaction (TS) within the tourism sector of a developing country such as Bangladesh. It takes into account the fluctuating levels of COVID-19 fear as a contributing factor to this dynamic. The research illuminates the critical role of COVID-19 fear in shaping guest satisfaction and how differing fear levels influence guest expectations and experiences. In this study, MGA and PLS-SEM was employed to assess 420 sets of tourist data collected from various hotels and restaurants in Bangladesh. Through this, the study identifies distinct service quality (SQ) dimensions that significantly impact tourist satisfaction (TS) across various COVID-19 fear categories. The findings underline the need for accommodation providers to tailor their services and safety measures to match guests’ specific fear levels, emphasizing the importance of empathetic staff behavior and effective communication of safety measures. The framework suggested in this study holds substantial significance, and it is recommended that policymakers in Bangladesh integrate this model into their considerations when devising strategies for the tourism industry. The research provides insights that are relevant for the hospitality sector in Bangladesh, suggesting strategies to enhance guest satisfaction based on accommodation category and COVID-19 fear levels. Finally, future research directions are outlined, emphasizing the evolving dynamic of COVID-19’s impact, the role of technology, and the integration of diverse service evaluation constructs to enhance explanatory models.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2331079COVID-19service qualityecotourismtourist satisfactionsustainable tourismPier Luigi Sacco, Gabriele d’Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, Italy
spellingShingle Md. Abu Issa Gazi
Md. Aminul Islam
Abdullah Al Masud
Abdul Rahman bin S. Senathirajah
Sukanta Biswas
Razuan Ahmed Shuvro
The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country
Cogent Social Sciences
COVID-19
service quality
ecotourism
tourist satisfaction
sustainable tourism
Pier Luigi Sacco, Gabriele d’Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, Italy
title The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country
title_full The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country
title_fullStr The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country
title_full_unstemmed The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country
title_short The moderating impacts of COVID-19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction: Evidence from a developing country
title_sort moderating impacts of covid 19 fear on hotel service quality and tourist satisfaction evidence from a developing country
topic COVID-19
service quality
ecotourism
tourist satisfaction
sustainable tourism
Pier Luigi Sacco, Gabriele d’Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, Italy
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2024.2331079
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