IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN GHANA, THE ROLE OF

SERVICE QUALITY

Obeng Boadi, Joshua

joshuaobeng98@gmail.com

Department of Management Studies

College of Humanities and Legal Studies

University of Cape Coast

Abstract

Mature competition and global financial systems have been forced to investigate the

significance of customer satisfaction. The research shed light on the impact of service

quality on the performance of the Tourism industry in Ghana specifically the Central

region of Ghana. Respondents are chosen from a range of varying demographic features

of foreigner who visit the country from North America, South America, Africa, Europe

and Asia using purposive sampling. Foreigners from the continents stated above were

selected for the sampling. Survey questionnaires were distributed among 200 tourists.

100% (200 respondents) valid response rate is yielded. Descriptive statistics such as

mean, variance, standard deviation, correlation, and crosstabs were used for the analysis.

The reliability of the questionnaire calculated yielded 0.80 which was above the

benchmark of 0.7 required. This study has used the model of service quality (Zeithaml,

Parasuraman, and Berry in (1985) with five dimensions to evaluate its effect on the

customer satisfaction among tourist who visit the Central region of Ghana for tourism

purposes. The results indicate that the higher the service quality, the more the costumer’s

satisfaction. The Dimensions of service quality plays an important role in this equation.

These dimensions are Tangibility, Responsiveness, Reliability, Empathy, and Assurance.

Finally, the findings indicate that these five factors have positively affected the customer

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satisfaction. This research also shows that the service quality is an appropriate tool to

measure the quality of service in the tourism industry. Therefore, the Tourism sector

practitioners regard this instrument a very important tool to evaluate, support, and

improve the quality of their services.

Keywords:

Service quality, Customer satisfaction, Tourism Industry, Ghana

Introduction

The concepts of service quality and service satisfaction have been highly considered

and used in marketing during previous decades. Marketing researchers have praised the

advantages of satisfaction and quality, and have mentioned them as indices of an organization

competitive benefit (Ruyter, 1997). service marketing intellectuals and researchers have offered

several metaphors of this issue. For example, Berry (cited in Kandampully, 1998, p 423) calls it

the most powerful competition weapon and Clow (1993) calls it the organization’s life-giving

blood.

Quality management has been reckoned as the prime mover towards enhanced

business performance and several researches have underlined the quality improvement initiatives

resulting in a sustainable competitive advantage ( Sureshchandar et al.,2002). The indicator value

of customer and organizational performance has been the reason why both academicians and

practitioners alike have been interested in the contruct ‘service quality’. But even though the

number of articles about services quality is huge, there is no agreement about service quality in

service industries, unlike traditional physical product industries

Adrian,(2011) acknowledged that the concept of service quality is difficult to define

and measure and this has aroused massive interest in interest and debate in the research literature.

However, many researchers have come out with some acceptable definitions. One that is

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commonly used defines service quality as the extent to which a service meets customers’ needs or

expectations (Lewis and Mitchell, 1990; Zeithaml, 1988)

Customer service can be described as the totality of what the organisation does to add value

to its products and services in the eyes of the customer. Another way to look at this issue is to say that quality

is the ability of the organisation to meet or exceed customer expectations (Brink & Berndt, 2005).

Statement of the Problem

Increased competitiveness in the marketplace in which businesses, countries and organization

function has been one of the main reasons why quality service and customer care have become of great

importance. In order to retain and expand market share, high quality service must be rendered

Kotler, (2005) asserts that the key in succeeding in the business world is the ability to

create, deliver and communicate more value more efficiently than competitors and this is

dependent on the quality of the product or service being sold which subsequently influences

customer satisfaction. Zeithaml and Bitner (1996) and (Nanuel, (2008) point out that, service quality

has been linked with increased profitability, and it is seen as providing an important competitive advantage

by generating repeat sales, positive word-of-mouth feedback, customer loyalty, and competitive product

differentiation.

Many researchers (Heskett, Sasser & Schlesinger, 1997; Yu & Dean, 2001; Garland &

Gendall, 2004; Lai, 2004; Henkel, Houchaime, Locatelli, Singh, Zeithaml, & Bittner, 2006;

Cavana, Corbett, & Lo 2007; Kao, 2009; Naeem & Saif, 2009; Zeithalm, Wilson, & Bitner, 2008)

concluded that there is a relationship between service quality and customer loyalty. Jones, Beatty

and Mothersbaugh, (2002) discovered that there is a positive relationship between service quality

and loyalty variables such as repurchase intention, recommendation and resistance to better

alternatives. Jones, Sasser, and Earl, (1995) argued that this relationship is not a simple linear

one; the resulting behaviors may depend on consumer attributions, (i.e. their belief in the causes

of the customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction assessment).

Research Objectives

The aim of this study is to determine customer perceptions of service quality at the Business

Studies Unit. Specifically, the following objectives are pursued:

1. To measure and compare the expectations and perceptions of tourists who visit Ghana

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2. To assess the impact of customer satisfaction of service quality on customer

loyalty.

3. To recommend measure(s) to improve service quality in the tourism industry in

Ghana

Research Questions

Based on the specific research objectives, the following research quaetions shall be pursued to

achieve the said objectives.

1. What is the state of customer perception and customer expectation of tourist in the

Central region of Ghana

2. How does customer satisfaction regarding quality service influence customer loyalty?

3. What measures can be implemented to improve service quality at tour sites in the central

region of Ghana

Significance of the Study

The findings of this article are expected to be of immense importance to several

stakeholders. First of all, it is expected, management of tour sites will benefit from this research

because, where the findings present deficiency, corrective strategies can be crafted and executed

with cutting-edge innovative tactics to make tourist become more satisfied with their services. In

similar fashion, when the findings go in favour of the country, it will inform management of tour

sites that their chosen strategies are working and therefore make them continue pursuing the

chosen paths.

Policy makers especially the Ministry of Tourism will find this material excessively

useful as it will inform them about the state of affairs in terms of quality service delivery in the

tourism industry thereby influencing their policy directions.

To the central government, resource allocative decisions, budgeting and technical

assistance could be influenced if this material’s findings are used as criteria for decision making.

Scope of the Study

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The research was conducted to assess customer perception of service quality at Cape Coast in

the Central region of Ghana, West Africa. An estimated 1200 tourist will form the

population and with this, 200 will be selected to be surveyed to obtain their perceptions

and expectation regarding the quality of services provided tour site operators in the

Central region of Ghana. Questionnaires will be the instrument to be used for the primary

data collection through the descriptive research design. Data collection exercise will be

done through convenience sampling procedure.

Organisation of the Study

The research consists of five (5) main chapters. Chapter One concerns the

introduction of the study, background of the study, statement of problem, research

objectives, research questions and significance of the study, limitation and organisation

of the study.

The Chapter Two deals with the Literature Review. This is where theories,

models and existing literature or write-up relevant to the topic will be reviewed.

The Chapter Three concentrates on the Research Methodology. This chapter

considers the research design, population of the study, research instrument, sampling and

sample sizes, sampling procedures data collection procedure and data analysis. In

Chapter Four, data that will be collected and analysed will be presented in Tables

and Figures and will be fully discussed. The Chapter Five presents the summary,

conclusions, and recommendations of the research.

Limitations

The service quality model (SERVQUAL model) used for the research has the

limitations in the sense that customer expectations are not clearly defined as to the

definite dimensions of the quality service measured (Cronin & Taylor, 1992).

CHAPTER TWO

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Overview of the Tourism Industry in Ghana

Tourism in Ghana has become a major socio-economic activity and one of the most important

and fastest growing sectors of the Ghanaian economy. Travel and Tourism establishments in

Ghana include hotels, tourist shops, tour operators, car rentals, and restaurants. The hotel

subsector is the largest and most dynamic. The number of hotels was 1,775 in 2013 with 28,028

rooms. The number of licensed star hotels was 872.

The tourism sector is a significant contributor to economic growth and development in

Ghana. Tourism is a major source of foreign exchange, employment, and government revenue. In

2013, the direct contribution of the Travel & Tourism industry to Ghana’s GDP was US$1.34

billion, representing 2.8% of GDP. The direct contribution measures spending by services that

caters to domestic and international tourists. These services include accommodation, food and

beverage, transportation, culture, sports and recreation as well as retail trade.

The total contribution of tourism to the economy is much larger when the Travel &

Tourism industry’s expenditures on investments, government taxes, materials, labor, energy, etc.,

are included. In 2013, total contribution of Travel & Tourism to Ghana’s economy was US$3.19

billion, representing 6.67% of GDP. Tourism’s direct contribution to the economy has grown

from US$1.03 billion in 2008 to US$1.34 billion in 2013. Travel & Tourism investment increased

from US$303 million in 2008 to US$403 million in 2013. Total spending on Travel & Tourism

in Ghana has shown steady growth, increasing from US$1,982 million in 2008 to US$2,372 in

2013. International tourist receipts fluctuate but they have generally been rising; they increased

from US$970 million in 2008 to US$1,068 million in 2013. International tourist receipts

constituted about 45% of total s pending in 2013. The annual number of international tourists is

estimated to be about 950,000 now and is expected to grow to 1.5 million by 2024 (Table 1).

International tourist receipts constitute the fourth highest source of foreign exchange for Ghana,

after gold, cocoa, and foreign remittances.

Ghana Immigration Service statistics for 2011 show that the leading sources for

international visitors were Nigeria (19%), USA (13%), UK (9%), Cote d’Ivoire (5%), and 3%

each for Canada, Germany, India, Nether lands, and South Africa. Ghana Tourism Authority

statistics for 2009 show that the top three reasons for visiting Ghana were business, conferences,

study/training (40%), visiting friends and family (25%), and holiday travel (20%). The tourist

sites that attracted the most visitors (domestic and international) in 2013 were Kakum National

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Park (184,000), Cape Coast/Elmina Castles (157,000) Kwame Nkumah Memorial Park (93,000),

Kumasi Zoo (68,000), Wli Waterfalls (63,000), and Manhyia Palace Museum (51,000).

Challenges of the Tourism industry

There are many issues and challenges facing tourism in Ghana. The key ones identified in African

Transformation Report and the Ghana Economic Transformation Case Study (ACET), 2012

report are: 1) limited understanding of tourism as a tool for economic development; 2) inadequate

investment in the tourism sector; 3) poor infrastructure and tourism support services; 4) Ghana as

a high cost tourism destination; and 5) lack of professionalism and poor service quality in the

tourism industry.

Potential of the Tourism industry in Ghana

Ghana has considerable and diverse tourism assets. These assets have been comprehensively

identified in past and current tourism development plans. Ghana’s tourism assets are usually

organized into four sectors: 1) natural attractions; 2) historical heritage; 3) cultural heritage; and

4) other attractions.

These assets can be leveraged with tourism support services, infrastructure,

marketing, and the friendly, hospitable disposition of Ghanaians to accelerate tourism growth and

employment. Ghana’s tourism assets offer opportunities for the development of ecotourism,

cultural and heritage tourism, conference and business tourism, leisure tourism, and beach resort

tourism. Natural attractions in Ghana include national parks, resource reserves, wildlife

sanctuaries, and wetland reserves. In addition, there are good beaches, lakes and rivers, waterfalls

and general scenic beauty. Kakum and Mole national parks are the most developed but Kakum

has become the best known tourism attraction in Ghana because of its canopy walkway and

proximity to Cape Coast. Other well known natural attractions include Boabeng-Fiema monkey

sanctuary, Nzulezo stilt settlement, Shai Hills resource reserve, Wli waterfalls and the Volta

Lake.

These natural attractions provide opportunities for ecotourism, beach tourism,and

adventure tourism. Ghana has a large number of historical and archaeological sites, including

forts and castles along the coast, traditional buildings, mosques, churches, and major shrines.

These include two properties on the UNESCO World Heritage Site: forts and castles, along the

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coast, and Asante traditional buildings. The forts and castles are over 500 years old and played

significant part in the transatlantic slave trade. The traditional buildings include shrines,

courtyards, and adinkra symbols that illustrate ideas and beliefs of ancient Asante.

These historical assets provide opportunities for cultural heritage tourism. In

particular, the large African diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean have a natural affinity

for understanding and experiencing Ghanaian history. The vibrant customary life in Ghana

includes many festivals, such as Adae Kese, Homowo, Odwira, Aboakyir, Hogbestosto, and

Damba, as well as, music, dances, traditional attire, decorations, and cultural artifacts promoting

traditional authorities and customary life. These provide opportunities for cultural tourism all

over the country.

Other tourism assets center around urban areas, especially Accra, Kumasi, and the

regional capitals. As the capital city, seat of government and main business center, Accra

provides opportunities for conference and business tourism. Accra is the gateway to Ghana,

adequately serviced by flights to international and regional destinations.

The Concept of Service Quality

Brink and Berndt, (2005) defined quality as the ability of the organisation to meet or

exceed customer expectations because after making a purchase, customers compare the service

expected to what is actually received. Customers decide how satisfied they are with service delivery

and outcomes, and they also make judgments about quality (Lovelock & Wright, (2002).

Adrian, (2011) and Wicks and Roethlein, (2009) acknowledged that the concept

of service quality is difficult to define and measures and this has aroused massive interest

in interest and debate in the research literature. However, many researchers have come

out with some acceptable definitions. One that is commonly used defines service quality

as the extent to which a service meets customers’ needs or expectations (Lewis and

Mitchell, 1990; Dotchin and Oakland, 1994a; Wisniewski and Donnelly, 1996).

Gronroos (1984) distinguished between technical and functional quality.

Technical quality refers to the relatively quantifiable aspects of service that customers

receive in their interactions with service firm or service providers (Adrian, 2011). Since

both customers and suppliers can easily measure technical quality, it becomes important

for judging service quality. Service delivery involves direct consumer-producer

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interaction and consumers are influenced by “how” the technical quality is delivered to

them (consumers) and this is termed as function quality. Functional quality cannot be

measured objectively as the case of technical quality (Adrian, 2011).

Measuring Service Quality

The SERVQUAL developed by Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry (1985) is a

technique that is used for performing a gap analysis of an organisation’s service quality

performance against customer service quality needs. SERVQUAL model is a

disconfirmation approach for measuring service quality (Adrian, 2011). According to the

SERVQUAL model, service quality can be measured by identifying the gaps between

customers’ expectations of the service to be rendered to them and customers

perceptions of the actual performance of service received. SERVQUAL is based on five

dimensions of service:

Tangibility: Tangibility refers to the physical characteristics or appearance

of physical elements associated with the service encounter. The physical

surroundings represented by objects (for example, interior design) and

subjects (for example, the appearance of employees).

Reliability: Measures the degree of dependability and accuracy of

performance. Specifically probing into the service provider’s ability to

provide accurate and dependable services; consistently performing the

service right.

Responsiveness: A firm’s willingness to assist its customers by providing fast

and efficient service performances; the willingness that employees exhibit to

promptly and efficiently solve customer requests and problems.

Assurance: Diverse features that provide confidence to customers (such as the

firm’s specific service knowledge polite and trustworthy behaviour from

employees). Typical of central themes for assurance include competence,

courtesy, credibility and security.

Empathy: The service firm’s readiness to provide each customer with

personal service and key elements include access, communication,

understanding the customer. Also concerns caring and individualized attention

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that the firm provides to its customers.

Adrian, (2011) reported that the SERVQUAL methodology identifies five gaps where

there may be a shortfall between expectations and perceptions of the actual service

delivery.

1. Gap between consumer expectations and management perception.

Management may think that they know what consumers expect and proceed to

deliver this when in fact consumers may expect something quite different.

2. Gap between management perception and service quality specification.

Management may understand what customer expect, but fail to set appropriate

quality specifications or may not set them clearly. Alternatively management

may set clear quality specifications but these may not be achievable.

3. Gap between service quality specifications and service delivery. Unforeseen

problems or poor management can lead to a service provider failing to meet

service quality specifications. This may be due to human error but also to

mechanical breakdown of facilitating or support goods.

4. Gap between service delivery and external communications. There may be

dissatisfaction with a service due to the excessively heightened expectations

developed through the service provider’s communications efforts.

Dissatisfaction occurs where actual delivery does not meet up with expectations

held out in a company’s communications.

5. Gap between perceived service and expected service. This gap occurs as a

result of one or more of the previous gaps. The way in which customers

perceive actual service delivery does not match up with their initial expectation.

In the words of Adrian, (2011) the gap model is useful as it allows management to

make analytical assessment of the causes of poor service quality. If the first gaps are

great, the task of bridging the subsequent gaps becomes greater and indeed it could be

said that in such circumstances quality service can only be achieved by good luck

rather than good management.

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Customer’s Expectations and Perceptions of Service

Customer expectations may be described as the desires or wants of the consumer.

The crux is that customer expectations are what the customer expects from the organisation and its

range of product or services. These expectations are, in most instances, different from what the

customer gets in real-life situations from the organisation. What is important here is to focus on

the customer perceptions, rather than on the reality of the performance (Brink & Berndt, 2005).

According to Strydom, Jooste and Cant (2000), customer perception is the process of

receiving, organising and assigning meaning to information or stimuli detected by the customer’s

five senses and opine that it gives meaning to the world that surrounds the customer. Perceptions

are also described as the end result of a number of observations by the customer (Lovelock &

Wright, 2002). Customers perceive services in terms of quality of services provided and the

satisfaction level attained.

The Benefits of Service Quality

According to Suganthi and Samuel (2004) as quality is becoming the key factor in every

walk of life, everyone has to be educated in quality principles. Many industries, service

organisations have implemented quality systems. In industries where implementations of quality

systems were successful, it has resulted in the following benefits:-

i. Reduction in complaints from customers, both internal and external

ii. Reduction in cost of the product

iii. Reduction in production time

iv. Increased system efficiency

v. Increased morale of staff

vi. Increased customer satisfaction.

The Link between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

According to Brink and Berndt (2005) customers perceive services in terms of the

quality of service provided and the satisfaction level attained. These two concepts, service

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quality and customer satisfaction, are the focus of attention of organisations because they want to

quantify (measure) them. The reason for the focus on quality of service and customer

satisfaction is the belief that organisations can differentiate themselves by means of

providing better service quality and overall customer satisfaction.

The Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty

The impact of satisfaction on loyalty has been the most popular subject of studies

(Kuusik, 2007). Several studies have revealed that there is a direct connection between

satisfaction and loyalty in that satisfied customers become loyal and dissatisfied

customers move to another vendor (Kuusik, 2007).

The American Customer Satisfaction Index, ACSI, was created with to describe

the development of customer loyalty (Kuusik, 2007). In the ACSI model there are three

antecedents of customer satisfaction: perceived quality, perceived value and customer

expectations (Anderson & Fornell, 2000). On the other hand, the ECSI (European

Customer Satisfaction Index) model divides quality into two segments: Product/service

attributes and human attributes. Product related attributes refer to the quality of the

product or service attributes, and human related features concern the interactive

elements in service, in other words the personal behavior and atmosphere of the service

environment (Grönholdt, Martensen & Kristensen, 2000).

Both of these models show that increased satisfaction increases customer

loyalty. When the satisfaction is low customers may turn to a competitor or express their

dissatisfaction (Kuusik, 2007).

Research has shown that 60–80% of customers who defect to a competitor

said they were satisfied or very satisfied just prior to their defection (Reichheld,

Markey & Hopton, 2000). Thus it’s clear that satisfaction can’t be the only factor that

has an impact on loyalty (Kuusik, 2007). To Gitomer (1998) customer satisfaction is

worthless because a satisfied customer still will buy the other company’s product or

service. Different authors argued that customer satisfaction per se does not necessarily

assure continued purchases if, for example, competitors offer attractive promotions

(Anderson, Claes & Donald, 1994; Jones & Sasser, 1995). The argument is that, where a

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company lacks adequate funds for organising promotions, having a strong loyal customer

base will pay off dearly.

Customer satisfaction is increasingly viewed as a necessary first step, but not a

sufficient condition, for creating customer retention and impacting market share

(Anderson et al., 1994; Jones & Sasser, 1995; Reichheld, 1996). According to Rust and

Zahorik (1995) customer satisfaction decides customer loyalty. Cronin and Taylor (1992)

indicate that customer satisfaction can influence customer loyalty directly. Hence, it is

understood that the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty is progressive.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the methods that were used in gathering data for this study.

According to Kothari, (2004) research methodology is a way to systematically solve the

research problem. According to Moulton, (2009) research design refers to the set of

guidelines and instructions that researchers follow in addressing the research problem. In

this study, the descriptive survey research design was used, to assess people’s knowledge,

beliefs, preferences and satisfaction, in an attempt to measuring these magnitudes in the

general population (Kotler & Keller, 2013). Leedy and Ormrod (2010) stressed that

survey captures fleeting moment in time and draws conclusions from one transitory

collection of data and further extrapolates over state of affairs over a longer period of

time. On the drawbacks of descriptive survey, Zickmund, (2000) lamented that survey is

susceptible or easily influenced through the introduction of biases in measuring of

instruments and so on as well as being relatively laborious and time consuming method.

Taylor, Sinha and Ghoshal, (2011) explained that the population of a research is

generally a large collection of individuals or objects that represents the main focus of a

scientific research. The population of the research comprise the tourists who come for

tourism in the Central Region of Ghana. The tourist were categorised according to the

various continents of the world such as Africa, North America, South America, Europe

and Asia

The research approach used was the quantitative approach. Curran and Blackburn,

(2001) acknowledged that this choice is increasingly advocated within business and

management research. The quantitative research approach was employed as it presents

ease and speed in conducting research (Musah, Mumuni, Abayomi, & Jibrel, 2013) and

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provide specific facts for decision makers to make accurate predictions about

relationships between factors and behaviours, gain meaningful insights into those

relationships and verify or validate the existing relationships (Hair, Wolfinbarger, Ortinau

& Bush, 2008).

Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents for the study.

Purposive sampling techniques offer the convenience to the researcher to reach the

targeted respondents easily and provide rich source of information for research work

(Taylor, et al, 2011). To Leedy and Ormrod, (2010), this sampling technique is

appropriate when it is difficult to reach the required respondents for a study and further

help provide detailed and specific information (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). A sample size

of 200 tourists was selected and surveyed accordingly. The selection of the sample size

was based on the population-sample matrix designed by Kirk, (1995). This matrix is a

guide to selecting suitable sample size to a given population size.

Design of Instrument

Questionnaire was the main data collection instrument used to collect data from

the field survey. The choice this instrument was necessitated by the extensive review of

literature and the specific objectives of the study. Taylor, Sinha & Ghoshal, (2011)

asserted that the use of questionnaire is a sensible way forward if factual information is

needed from substantial number of people.

The questionnaire used close-ended. Close-ended questions have the advantage of

making analysis simple and powerful (Taylor, et al, 2011) and afforded the researcher the

opportunity to control the flow of information for the study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010).

The closed-ended questions were asked as either dichotomous, where only two choices

were offered or multi-chotomous questions, where multiple answers were available for

choice (Brace, 2004) as well as Likert point scale. The questionnaire used was based on

Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry (1985) research instrument designed for the

assessment of service quality using dimension as responsiveness, tangibles, reliability,

assurance and Empathy.

The primary data was collected through the use of survey questionnaire. The use

of questionnaire was adopted because it ensured that data collection was standardized

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such that each respondent got the same question and in the same format. The

questionnaires were given to the tourists during the time they were having their breakfast,

lunch and supper after permission was granted by the management of restaurants for such

exercise to be carried out. All the questions were answered and fully returned. So, a

response rate of 100% was recorded.

The questionnaires was coded before entering the data into Statistical Package for

Social sciences SSPS (version 22.0) for analysis. Before the actual statistical techniques

were used, the reliability of the instrument was computed and it was confirmed that the

instrument was reliable for such statistics to be performed. Descriptive statistics such as

frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to describe the

phenomena of interest. Inferential statistics such as standard multiple regression,

correlation and others were as well computed.

A Crombach’s Alpha of 0.78 was recorded for the internal consistency and since

it is above the standard 0.7, the scale can be considered as being reliable with the sample

size (Pallant, 2005). Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, (2009) refer validity of an instrument

as to how well an instrument measures the particular concept it supposed to measure. To

ensure validity of questionnaires, the researcher reviewed other relevant literature that

served as evidence and supported the answers found using the questionnaire (Saunders, et

al., 2009). Further, the designed questionnaire was submitted to the project supervisor

for vetting, correction and approval before distributing it to the respondents.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The data from the SERVQUAL questionnaires were analysed using the

appropriate statistical methods-descriptive and inferential statistics. The responses obtained from

respondents for each of the 22 questions is presented. The research ascertained what tourists

perceive about tourism in the Central region of Ghana. It also identified gaps between

expectations and perceptions. Tourists were asked to rank their perceptions and expectations in

relation to service quality with a five-point Likert scale. Scores for the above five dimensions of

SERVQUAL were also calculated and measured. The formula on perceived service quality,

developed by Parasuraman et al., (1985), was stated as follows:

Q (Quality) = P (Perceptions) – E (Expectations)

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By subtracting the perceived from the expected rating, the net satisfaction can be estimated

from the quality for each tourist as Lovelock and Wright, (2002) provided that after making

a purchase, customers compare the service expected to what is actually received.

A total of 200 questionnaires were fully completed and submitted by the respondents

(who were all from foreign countries) leading to the recording of a 100% response rate.

Section A: Demographic information about respondents

Table 1: Sex distribution of respondents in the survey

Frequency PercentValid Male 74 37.0

Female 126 63.0Total 200 100.0

Source: Field Survey

The results from the table indicates that most of the respondents to the survey questionnaire are

Females representing 63% of the total 200 respondents whilst the remainder were Males

representing 37% of the total 200 respondents

Table 2: Age distribution of respondents

Age range Frequency PercentValid 15-20years 84 42.0

21-25years 92 46.026-30years 10 5.031-35years 2 1.0above 40years 12 6.0Total 200 100.0

Source: Field Survey

The findings of the survey are presented on table 2. From the table, the majority of the

respondents were between the ages of 21-25(representing 46%), 42% between the ages of 15-

20 years, 5% between the ages of 26-30 years, 1% between 31-35years and 6% above 40 years.

Table 3: Level of education of respondents

Level of education Frequency PercentValid Elementary school 7 3.5

High school 9 4.5College 41 20.5University 143 71.5Total 200 100.0

Source: Field Survey

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The information as represented in table 3 indicates that 71% of the 200

respondents have university education, 20.5% of the 200 respondents have college

education whilst 4.5% and 3.5% of the 200 respondents have high school and elementary

education respectively.

Table 4: Nationality of the respondents

Nationality Frequency PercentValid African 7 3.5

North American 108 54.0South American 10 5.0European 70 35.0Asian 5 2.5Total 200 100.0

Source: Field Survey

The information obtained from the data as represented in table 4 indicates that 54%

were North Americans whilst 3.5%, 5%, 35% and 2.5% were Africans, South Americans,

Europeans, and Asians respectively.

Section B: Service Quality Dimensions, Perceptions and Expectations of Tourists

Table 5: Measuring Service Quality on Tangible Dimension

Tangibles Perception Expectation Gap

Tour sites have modern looking equipment 3.1150 3.3550 -0.24

Tour sites have visually appealing facilities 3.4950 3.9400 -

0.445

Staff at tour sites appear neat

Materials associated with tour sites are visually appealing

Total

3.8100

3.5650

13.985

4.1650

3.9200

15.38

-0.355

-0.355

-1.395

The findings on the Tangible dimension of the SERQUAL model are presented in

Table 5. A 5-point Likert Scale was rated on a continuum with the following codes to

survey the perception and intentions of the tourist regarding quality service delivery.

1-Strongly Disagree; 2-Disagree; 3-Uncertain; 4-Agree and 5-Strongly Agree

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The overall picture drawn on the summation of the mean scores of the 4 variable

measured on tourist’ perception of the quality service delivery by tourist is that, there is

service gap of 1.395 recorded between tourists’ perception and tourists expectation

On the individualized scores, it was found that, the respondents agreed that staff

at tour sites appear neat whenever they are at work, with a mean score of 3.8100 recorded

for their perception to that effect. However, the expectation mean score recorded was

bigger than the perception, recording 4.1650 mean score insofar as a minimum service

gap of -0.355 was recorded, signifying that even though tourists perceived the

appearance of staff as neat, they still feel that there is the need for more improvement.

As was held by Goetsch and Davis, (2003) customers will build relationships with

personnel in an organization who are knowledgeable, professional in appearance and

positive.

On the dimension of material associated with tour sites as being appealing, the

tourists’ expectations far exceeded their perception recording -0.355 gap. This implies

that materials associated with tour sites are somewhat not visually appealing and massive

improvement needs to be achieved

For the other dimensions under tangibles, the situation was not different. Tour sites

having modern looking equipment and tour sites having visually appealing material recorded a

mean of 3.1150 and 3.4950 respectively. The expectations of the tourists for the above

dimensions were 3.550 and 3.9400 resulting in a gap of -0.24 and -0.445 respectively. This

results indicates that there must be improvement in the materials associated with tour sites

Table 6: Measuring Service Quality on responsiveness dimension

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Responsiveness

Staff at tour sites should be able to tell tourist

exactly when services will be performed

Perception

3.3250

Expectation

4.2650

Gap

-0.94

Staff at tour sites should give prompt services

to tourist 3.6650 4.1900 -0.525

Staff at tourist sites should be willing to help

tourist 3.8300 4.4550 -0.625

Staff at tour sites should never too busy to

respond to tourist

Total

3.660

14.38

3.7800

16.69

-0.12

-2.21

Table 6 shows that findings regarding the extent to which the respondents rated the

responsiveness dimension of service delivery of tour sites operators. The overall image

painted here indicates that the respondents perceived discrepancy between their

perception of quality service delivery and expectation in that, a negative gap of -2.21 was

recorded when the summation of the overall expectation (14.48) was subtracted from the

overall perception (16.69). This therefore means that, personnel at tour sites must check

the responsiveness variables and make amends to foster quality service delivery to tourist

to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty in the long run.

Table 7: Measuring Service Quality on Assurance Dimension

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Assurance dimension

Behaviour of tour site staff instil in tourist

confidence

Perception

3.7950

Expectation

4.1000

Gab

-0.305

Staff at tour sites are consistently courteous

with tourist 3.8950 4.3200

-

0.425

Staff at tour sites have the knowledge to answer

tourist

Total

4.0400

11.73

5.7350

14.155

-1.695

-2.425

Four (3) statements were used to measure the assurance of the respondents as was

postulated by Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry (1985) measured on a continuum of

where 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Uncertain, 4-Agree and 5-Strongly Agree.

The findings from the field survey are presented on Table 7. The overall

finding shows that, there is a service gap of -2.425 when the overall mean score of

tourists’ expectation (14.155) was subtracted from the overall mean score tourists’

perception (11.73) of the performance of the service quality delivery.

Table 7: Measuring Service Quality on Empathy dimension

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Empathy dimension

Staff should give tourists individualized

attention

Perception

3.7800

Expectation

3.7900

Gab

-0.01

Tour sites should have opening hours

convenient to all

3.6200 3.8000 -0.18

Attendants at tour sites should have tourists

needs at heart

3.6300 3.9650 -0.335

Staff at tour sites should understand the specific

needs of tourists

Total

3.5550

14.585

3.9000

15.455

-0.345

-0.87

The researcher sought to measure the level of empathy based on the SERVQUAL model

on a 5 variables. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure attitude of the respondents

in a continuum. The rate was measured as follows. 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-

Uncertain, 4-Agree and 5-Strongly Agree.

The overall findings indicate that there is major service gap for this variable-

empathy- regarding the quality service delivery by tour sites because, substantial service

gap of -0.87 was recorded when the overall mean score of respondents’ perception

(15.455) was deducted from the overall expectation mean score of 14.585

Considering the individual variables making up the empathy dimension of service

quality, it was discovered that, the respondents agreed that your sites have opening hours

convenient to all tourists in that, a perception mean of 3.6200 was recorded accordingly.

This means, there tourist appreciate the operating hours of the University insofar as

service delivery is concerned. However, the respondents expect more improvement in

this variable-convenient operating hours open to all tourist- because, a mean score of

3.8000 was obtained to that effect. This led to this situation where a service quality gap of

-0.18 was recorded relating to the above mentioned statement.

The researcher also sought to measure the extent to which the respondents agree

that tour sites have tourist interest at heart and the result shows that the respondents

agreed to the said statement owing to the fact that a mean score of 3.6300 was obtained to

that effect. On the expectation side, a mean score of 3.9650 was obtained signifying the

respondents would be more delighted if something positive could be done the subject

21

matter. This automatically led to the situation whereby a service gap of -0.335 was

recorded.

The respondents further agreed that staff at tour sites understand their specific

needs in that a mean score of 3.5550 was recorded on the perception dimension. The

respondents in addition expect that much research and intelligence be carried out by the

institution to fully identify, anticipate and satisfy their-tourist-underlying needs that puts

them under constant question to seek services of the tourist site because, a mean score of

3.9000 was obtained on the expectation dimension of their attitude as measured by the 5-

point Likert scale. As a result of this, a service gap of -0.345 was record, when the

expectation score was subtracted from the perception score.

The respondents were asked to rate the extent to which they agree that staff of the

tourist sites give tourist individualized attention. The overall conclusion drawn from the

responses of the respondents suggest that the respondent are uncertain regarding this

variable since a mean score of 3.7800 was recorded on the perception criterion. This

finding was sharply contracted by the findings on the expectation mean score obtained

from the survey because, a mean of 3.7900 was recorded, which translates that the

respondents agreed that the staff at tour sites must give improved individualized attention

instead of focusing on groups.

Reliability

Promises by tour sites staff to do something

within Specific time should undertaken within

that time

Perception

3.3000

Expectation

4.2400

Gab

-0.94

Staff at tour sites should show genuine interest

in solving tourist problems

3.4750 4.3600 -0.885

Staff at tour sites should perform services

right at the first time

3.4850 3.8600 -0.375

our sites should provide services at the time it

promises to do so

Tour sites operators insists on error free

services

3.4650

3.1750

4.0950

4.0800

-0.63

-0.905

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Total 16.9000 20.635 -3.735

The researcher sought to measure the reliability dimension of the SERVQUAL model

which measures the ability to perform service dependably and accurately. A 5-point

Likert scale was used to measure the attitude of respondents in continuum as the attitudes

were rated as follows. 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Uncertain, 4-Agree and 5-

Strongly Agree.

At the individual variables level, it was recognized that the promises by tour site

operators to do something within a specific time was not undertaken within that time with

a mean score of 3.3000 for perception and a score of 4.2400 for expectation resulting in a

quality service gap of -0.94

On tour sites operators insisting on error free services a mean score of 3.4650 and

4.0950 was recorded for perception and expectation respectively resulting in a service

quality gap of -0.63

On staff at tour sites performing services right at the first time a mean score of

3.4850 and 3.8600 was recorded for perception and expectation respectively resulting in

a service quality gap of -0.375

On tour sites showing genuine interest in solving tourist problems a mean score of

3.4750 and 4.3600 was recorded for perception and expectation respectively resulting in

a service quality gap of -0.885

On tour sites on proving services at the time it promises to do so a mean score of

3.4650 and 4.0950 was recorded for perception and expectation respectively resulting in

a service quality gap of -0.63

23

Overall representations of service gab about the five dimensions in the SERVQUAL

model

tangibleness

responsiveness

Assurance

Empathy

Reliability

-4 -3.5 -3 -2.5 -2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0

Total service gab for the five dimension

From the table above, the dimension that tourist site operator lack is the dimension of

reliability followed by Assurance dimension, responsiveness dimension, tangibles

dimension and empathy dimension. Tourist attraction centres must ensure that they

improve upon their reliability in meeting the needs of tourists when they visit the

country for tourism

Nationality * how satisfied are you regarding service quality of Tourism in Ghana How satisfied are you regarding service quality of tourism

in GhanaTotal

miserably somewhat satisfactory

very satisfactory

Delightful

African 0 0 0 7 7North American 0 14 44 50 108South American 0 0 10 0 10European 6 39 25 0 70Asian 0 5 0 0 5

Total 6 58 79 57 200Source; field survey

On the level of satisfaction of the tourist with the services provided by tour sites in the central

region of Ghana 57 out of the 200 said they were delightful, 79 said their experience is

24

satisfactory whilst 58 and 6 said they were somewhat satisfactory and miserably respectively

On thr individual score from each continent 7 tourist from Africa said they were delightful whilst

14, 44 and 50 tourist from North America said they somewhat satisfied, very satisfied and

delightful respectively. 10 South Americans said they were very satisfied. 39 and 25 tourist from

Europe were somewhat satisfied and delightful. 5 Asians were somewhat satisfied

Implications

Based on the findings regarding the general and specific objectives of the study,

the following measures are recommended for the management of Tourist sites to deliver

matchless quality services to its students.

Tailored training programmes for the staff of the Tourist sites is highly

recommended for address the shortcomings. Since the challenges that limit delivery of

quality services are human content oriented, especially in the case of contact personnel

interactions with tourists at Tourist sites, the designing of training programmes to

specifically address the shortcomings the service delivery process would go a long way to

enhance quality services. By seeing employees as the conduit that transcends the actual

value to clients, it could be concluded that training and developing employees is seen as

strategic partnership that promote and sustain competitive advantage for the entire

organisation.

Training needs analysis (organizational analysis, task and role analysis and person

analysis) must be conducted to identify training gaps. Based on the findings of the

analysis, appropriate training design must be designed and fined tuned to the gaps

identified. Appropriate budget must be allocated for the training and development of its

staff. Instructors with the requisite experience must handle the training programme and

employees with identified gaps must be selected to undergo these training programmes.

Time management training programmes through seminars, conferences and mentoring is

recommended as the respondents said the staff of the institution do not give prompt

services to students. Short courses and on-the-job training is also recommended to cater

for the short term needs of the organisaion. Areas of the SERVQUAL model dimensions

needing immediate attention includes giving personalized attention to , providing

individualized attention to the tourist (empathy dimension), time management, show

25

genuine interest in solving tourist problems (reliability dimension) and providing prompt

services to tourist (responsiveness dimension. Once the training programmes have been

implemented given cognizance to time, the programmes must be evaluated to establish

whether the training has worked or not. This would in a way provide the means of

ensuring continuous service quality improvements for make customers more delighted.

Conducting customer research to identify customers’ pressing needs periodically

is also recommended. The institution can use its internal research units if any exist, to

conduct marketing research to aid in creating services that give customers value for their

money. The findings of these researches must be acted upon in terms of time and scope to

improve quality service to tourist and to industry at large.

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