Normative Versus Perceptual Gap Analysis of Hotel Product Quality as a Service to Tourism in Kenya

Kenya＇s tourism business stagnated from 1991 to 2003 and only registered small but steady grew from 2004. One of the sectors that recorded poor performance as a result of the slow growth of tourism is the hotel business. Despite this slack, stakeholders in Kenya have not tried to assess the extent to which the quality of this sector may impact on destination preference. The ultimate purpose of this research was to establish the quality gap between the expected and the perceived hotel product/service quality from both the perspective of the tourists and the hotel operators in Kenya. It was motivated by the need to create parameters that can elavate the competitiveness of Kenya＇s tourism using the hotel product/service quality offer. Descriptive quantitative research design was used to establish the secondary objectives and to assess two propositions set for the study. A sample of 211 tourists and 19 hotel operators in two major tourist provinces of Kenya was used to obtain information regarding normative and perceptive hotel product/service quality. Kenya＇s only destination marketing organisation, Kenya Tourist Board （KTB） marketers were also surveyed to provide insight on Kenya＇s destination position with regard to the motivation of tourists to visit Kenya. The study established that although the attractions which make tourists come to Kenya are the unique wildlife safari, beach tourism and the natural scenery, hotel product quality and hospitality plays a vital role in motivating tourists to choose Kenya as the destination to visit. However, this study found out that while the tourists and hotel operators agree on the normative hotel product quality level, there is a significant gap between the normative quality and the perceptual quality registered by tourists who used hotel services. The study established that hotel operators only recognize quality regulatory institutions with statutory and legal authority to incriminate facilities that do not comply with laid down operational requirements such as Hotels and Restaurants Authority and the Local Authority Public Health Department. The study has proposed an integrated framework that may be utilized to build a superior national hotel product/service quality so that the economic potential of tourism is maximized in Kenya.

The Impetus for RCEP in Facilitating the High-quality Development of the Tourism Service Trade in Yunnan Province,China

The present world pattern has undergone major changes,the trend of world multi-polarization is constantly emerging,and peace and development remain the main themes of today’s society.The formal signing and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP)is important for meeting the needs of peace and development of many countries and regions.China is in a new era of reform and opening-up,and the RCEP content is in line with China’s concept of pursuing a path of rejuvenation.Based on the locations of important borders,Yunnan Province has become one of the key places for China’s opening-up and development regarding Southeast Asia and South Asia,and the high-quality development of its tourism service trade is of great significance.This study first used the grounded theory analysis method to organize,analyze and process the records of international conferences and government press conferences held in Yunnan Province,as well as important related issues since the signing of RCEP.Then,the social network analysis method was used to analyze the social recognition degree of RCEP in promoting the high-quality development of the tourism service trade in Yunnan Province from the perspectives of different levels and group consensus.The results show that cooperation is the key macro driving force for RCEP in promoting the high-quality development of the tourism service trade in Yunnan Province.Regarding the opportunities and environment of the transportation dividend,policy dividend and investment dividend,port construction,border township construction and exhibition-related construction are important cooperation contents,so they are conducive to the recovery of the tourism industry in a broader development space.Competition can improve the driving force of RCEP in promoting the high-quality development of the tourism service trade in Yunnan Province at the micro level,and has more practical significance.For example,RCEP can better rely on its own geographical advantages and international market competitiveness,optimize the use of resources inside and outside ports,and use high-tech products to form a more green,ecological,organic and sustainable development.In different levels of social identity,RCEP’s power of cooperation is more strongly recognized,while the power of competition is less recognized.However,from the perspective of grouping the various groups,RCEP’s powers of cooperation and competition are jointly recognized by the other groups,indicating that cooperation and competition are necessary for the realization of RCEP’s power.The results of this study provide a certain reference for understanding the dynamics of RCEP in more detail from more angles and for the local implementation of RCEP rules and measures.