Muslim Tourists' Perceptions of Religious Tourism in Serang and Pandeglang

Abstract

Banten Province has the potential to become a religious tourism destination; consequently, service management must be enhanced. Tourism activities will be safer and more comfortable for tourists who receive superior service. This study aims to determine and analyze the perceptions of Muslim tourists regarding the services provided by religious tourism officers in Banten Province, as well as to determine which service indicators should be the top priority in order to provide Muslim tourists with the best possible service. This research employs quantitative analysis as its method of inquiry. To answer the first research question, the Importance and Performance Analysis (IPA) method was applied to the Likert Scale responses of respondents. Based on the results of the analysis of the level of conformity between the level of perception and preference of Muslim tourists on religious tourism services, this study demonstrates an average level of conformity of 90 percent, indicating that the level of satisfaction with the quality of religious tourism services felt by Muslim tourists is quite high or that the quality of religious tourism is good. In addition, based on the results of the analysis using a Cartesian diagram, it was determined that several indicators were included in quadrant A, where the indicator had a low level of performance. These indicators included (a) officers who were able to perform their duties well, (b) clean and fragrant toilets, (c) safe and adequate parking space, and (d) the friendliness and courtesy of the staff at religious tourism sites.