ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Homestay tourism is an increasingly popular form of travel, particularly in Malaysia, where visitors can experience a unique local culture by staying with a host family. However, the homestay operators have been facing a significant challenge with declining numbers of repeated guest visits. Therefore, this study aims to understand the direct relationships between image, perceived value, safety, satisfaction, and tourist loyalty in the Malaysian homestay tourism sector. The study's research model comprises three exogenous variables: image, perceived value, and safety, with satisfaction as a mediator and loyalty as an endogenous variable. Image refers to the homestay's reputation, including online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. Perceived value refers to the perception of guests regarding the price and quality of services provided by the homestay. Safety refers to the perceived safety and security of guests in the homestay. Primary data was collected through a survey questionnaire that was adapted from previous studies. A total of 239 clean data sets were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The measurement model's convergent validity was initially assessed by examining construct reliability and validity. Then, discriminant validity was evaluated through cross-loading and Hetrotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratios. The results of the structural model evaluation revealed that image, perceived value, and safety positively and significantly influence satisfaction, which strongly influences tourist loyalty. The findings suggest that homestay operators should focus on improving their reputation, providing high-quality services at a reasonable price, and ensuring the safety and security of their guests to increase satisfaction and loyalty. This study provides valuable insights into the factors that influence tourist loyalty in the Malaysian homestay tourism sector. By improving the homestay's image, perceived value, and safety, operators can increase guest satisfaction and encourage repeated visits. This research offers practical implications of understanding customer preferences enhances the tourist experience for homestay operators and policymakers.
Adnan, A. M., Azizan, N. A., & Razak, A. A. (2019). Tourist Loyalty in Malaysia: A Conceptual Framework. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts, 11(3), 43-56.
Alzua-Sorzabal, A., Bikandi-Mejias, G., & Aragon-Correa, J. A. (2017). The Impact of Homestay Accommodation on Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study of Basque Country. Sustainability, 9(7), 1191.
Asmi, A. R., & Ahmad, F. (2020). The effect of destination image and tourist satisfaction on the behavioral intention of Indonesian tourists visiting Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Society, 21(S4), 88-100. doi:10.33736/ijbs.956.2020
Bigne, J. E., Sanchez, M. I., & Sanchez, J. (2005). Tourism image, evaluation variables and after purchase behaviour: Inter-relationship. Tourism Management, 26(2), 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2003.08.016
Chen, Y., Jin, N., & Zhang, Q. (2020). The effect of perceived value on tourists' satisfaction and loyalty to nature-based tourism destinations in China. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(12), 2022-2041. doi:10.1080/09669582.2020.1816726
Cheng, S. J., Yang, C. H., & Chen, C. H. (2019). The relationships among perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty in the tourism industry: A meta-analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 58(5), 813-828. doi:10.1177/0047287518777699
Chew, E. Y. T., & Jahari, S. A. (2014). Destination image as a mediator between perceived risks and revisit intention: a case of post-disaster Japan. Tourism Management, 40, 382-393.
Chi, C. G. Q., & Qu, H. (2008). Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: An integrated approach. Tourism Management, 29(4), 624-636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.06.007
Choi, Y., & Kim, H. (2021). The effect of destination image on tourist satisfaction: The moderating role of travel purpose. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 20, 100519. doi:10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100519
Eshun, G., & Charles, M. (2020). Examining the relationship between destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty in Cape Coast, Ghana. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 14(3), 334-352. doi:10.1108/IJCTHR-01-2020-0025
Ferdous, A. S., Islam, M. A., & Hossain, M. S. (2017). Homestay tourism: An alternative approach to sustainable tourism development in Bangladesh. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 5(2), 48-58.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.
Goh, K. Y., Law, R., & Mo, H. (2021). The influence of destination image and tourist experience on tourist satisfaction: The case of Penang, Malaysia. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 20, 100530. doi:10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100530
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., and Sarstedt, M. (2014). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks: Sage
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage
Han, H., & Hyun, S. S. (2020). The effect of destination image on revisit intention: Testing the mediating roles of satisfaction, trust, and perceived value. Sustainability, 12(2), 582. doi:10.3390/su12020582
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., and Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1): 115-135.
Jamaludin, N. L., Hashim, N. H., & Othman, M. (2019). The impact of image, perceived value, and satisfaction on tourist loyalty: a case of homestay tourism in Malaysia. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 41, 47-55.
Khan, M. R., Rahman, M. M., & Uddin, M. J. (2018). Homestay Tourism: An Alternative Tourism Product for Sustainable Tourism Development. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 6(2), 35-45.
Kim, J. H., & Lee, J. (2021). Influence of destination image on tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: A moderating role of trip type. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 38(4), 423-439. doi:10.1080/10548408.2020.1778826
Kim, H. Y., & Cha, Y. (2018). Perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty of tourists visiting a cultural heritage site. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 35(6), 791-806.
Lee, H. J., & Goo, J. W. (2019). The role of homestays in community-based tourism and sustainable tourism development. Sustainability, 11(5), 1485.
Li, X., & Wang, D. (2017). Destination image, tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty: A study on international tourists in Dongcheng District, Beijing. Journal of China Tourism Research, 13(4), 417-430. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2017.1358685
Li, X., Li, X., & Yu, Z. (2021). The effect of perceived value on loyalty: Evidence from wine tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 46, 11-19. doi:10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.02.003
Luo, Y., Liu, J., Wang, D., & Yu, W. (2020). The influence of perceived value on satisfaction and loyalty in rural tourism: Evidence from China. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(9), 1157-1174. doi:10.1080/13683500.2019.1625908
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. (2017). Malaysia Year of Festivals 2017. Retrieved from https://www.tourism.gov.my/corporate/media_centre/media_release/media_release_detail/index/12973.
Zin, M. R. A. B., & Mohammad, J. (2021). The relationship between destination image, satisfaction and behavioral intention among Muslim tourists in Malaysia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 12(3), 905-920. doi:10.1108/JIMA-12-2020-0403
Oke, F. O., Ojo, S. O., & Adegoke, O. A. (2020). Homestay tourism as a tool for sustainable rural development: A conceptual framework. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 9(1), 1-14.
Omar, N. A., Marzuki, A., Isa, M. N., & Nor, K. M. (2021). The mediating effect of destination image on the relationship between tourist experience and satisfaction. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 22(3), 287-305. doi:10.1080/1528008X.2021.1879867
Osman, Z., & Sentosa, I. (2013).A Study of Mediating Effect of Trust on Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty Relationship in Malaysian Rural Tourism. European Journal of Tourism Research, 6(2), 192-206
Osman, Z. (2014) Determinants of Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Rural Tourism. International Journal of Physical & Social Science. 4(1), 161-190
Osman, Z. (2013) An Empirical Study of Direct Relationship of Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Trust on Customer Loyalty in Malaysian Rural Tourism. Journal of Tourism Hospitality and Culinary Arts, 5(1), 125-150
Osman, Z., & Sentosa, I. (2013). Influence of Customer Satisfaction on Service Quality and Trust Relationship in Malaysian Rural Tourism. Business and Management Quarterly Review, 4(2), 12-25
Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986b). Self-Reports in Organizational Research: Problems and Prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4), 531–544. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920638601200408
Satar, N. M., & Ramli, N. S. (2021). The role of destination image in enhancing tourist satisfaction and loyalty in ecotourism destinations. Journal of Ecotourism, 20(1), 32-53. doi:10.1080/14724049.2020.1846662
Wearing, S. L., & Neil, J. (2009). Ecotourism: Impacts, Potentials and Possibilities (2nd ed). Butterworth-Heinemann.
Yap, S. F., & Raman, M. (2020). The relationship between destination image, tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty: The case of Malaysia. Journal of Place Management and Development, 13(4), 564-581. doi:10.1108/JPMD-07-2019-0157
In-Text Citation: (Osman et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Osman, Z., Othman, F. I., Musa, N., & Richard, C. M. (2023). Exploring the Relationships among Image, Perceived Value, Satisfaction, and Loyalty among Tourists in Homestay Tourism Sector. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(8), 1227 – 1241.
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non0-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode