Influence of Customer Perceived Value on Tourist Satisfaction and Revisit Intention: A study on Guesthouses in Maldives

Abstract

This study attempts to examine the customer perceived value associated with guesthouse services in tourism in local islands of Maldives. Also this study attempts to examine the relationship associated between CPV, tourist satisfaction and revisit intention. The study has been conducted on the Island of Maafushi, Maldives. Based on literature, a questionnaire was developed based on Seth, Newman and Gross (1991) Consumption Value Framework and sub variables are selected using past literature. Questionnaire was distributed among the tourist stayed in the guesthouses. The questionnaire consisted of 2 dependent variables (Satisfaction and Revisit Intention) measured the direct impact from the 5 variables and satisfaction to revisit intention. The 5 independent variables (functional value, emotional value, epistemic value, social value and conditional value) measured the direct influence and mediating effect on customer satisfaction and revisit intention. The Likert Scale (Disagree -1 and 5 for Agree) was used to answer the questionnaire consisting of 35 questions. 263 questionnaires were being distributed using convenient sampling method and a sample of 203 tourists was used in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis and followed by Structural Equation Modelling was conducted using AMOS 22 to analyse the impact of CPV on satisfaction and revisit intentions. The findings shows that only functional and emotional values have a positive and significant impact on tourist satisfaction. Social Value is the only CPV that has a positive and significant impact on Tourist intention to revisit. We found tourist satisfaction has direct positive and significant influence on their intention to revisit. The effect on revisit intention is directly mediated by satisfaction and social value while social value and satisfaction indirectly mediate revisit intention. Therefore it is important that the island council and the managements of guesthouses work together and resolve the issues that affect customer satisfaction and also to educate the locals of the importance of tourism in the island which supports the island economy. Future research may be focused on some other islands providing guest house tourism to confirm and generalise the findings throughout the country