Time for Tea: Factors of Service Quality, Memorable Tourism Experience and Loyalty in Sustainable Tea Tourism Destination

Siew Imm Ng, Xin-Jean Lim (), C. Michael Hall (), Keng Kok Tee, Norazlyn Kamal Basha, Wan Siti Nabilah Binti Ibrahim and Sara Naderi Koupaei
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Siew Imm Ng: School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Xin-Jean Lim: Centre of Value Creation and Human Well-being Studies, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
C. Michael Hall: Department of Management, Marketing, and Tourism, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Keng Kok Tee: MBA Centre, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang 43900, Selangor, Malaysia
Norazlyn Kamal Basha: School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Wan Siti Nabilah Binti Ibrahim: School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Sara Naderi Koupaei: Tourism Faculty, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta 99628, Turkey

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Underpinned by Script Theory and the S-O-R model, this research enhances the green tourism consumption literature to identify how destination service quality contributes to visitors’ memorable experiences and loyalty towards a place-based food tourism attraction. A total of 202 tourists who visited the Best of Highlands tea plantation in Malaysia were surveyed using an online questionnaire. Using PLS-SEM, this study has several notable findings: (i) destination service quality factors: activities, cleanliness, language, and security emerged as predictors of memorable tourism experiences; (ii) memorable tourism experiences strongly predicted destination loyalty; and (iii) memorable tourism experiences mediate the path between destination service quality and destination loyalty. This study therefore provides new insights into both sustainable tea tourism and script theory with respect to how memories guide future decision making. These results also provide insights for tea tourism providers in designing an unforgettable destination that stimulates the tourist’s intention to revisit the destination and to communicate it to others.

Keywords: tea tourism; destination service quality; memorable tourism experience; destination loyalty; sustainable tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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