Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Hospitality industry – Customer services – Ethiopia'

This study investigated demographic characteristics of 240 Chamber of Commerce members in terms of their expectations for customer service in hotels. Subjects reported their age, gender, marital status, race, educational level, income level and ethnicity, and completed a 26-item questionnaire which measured expectations for customer service. Principal components analysis was used to reduce the 26 items to five dimensions of service quality, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effect of the demographic variables on those dimensions. Gender of the customer was found to have a significant effect on the combined dimensions of service quality; other variables were not significant.

Hotel rating refers to the process where the comfort and services of a hotel are assessed and classified, usually in five categories, using stars as symbols. Conventional hotel rating systems are generally operated by governments or independent parties. However, with the growth of social media and customer-review sites, guest review platforms became an important source of information. The main aim of this study is to establish whether guest feedback can determine hotel ratings more accurately than conventional methods and whether a social media platform such as TripAdvisor can provide the necessary data to do so. The customer-review website, TripAdvisor, has grown rapidly and made a strong impact on the tourism and hotel industry. This study identifies the nature of TripAdvisor, its reliability, how its ratings compare with conventional ratings, and what criteria are used in guest reviews on TripAdvisor when assessing the quality of a hotel. These findings were triangulated with findings from the conventional rating systems of the 11 destinations that were sampled for this study to identify the value of TripAdvisor. Two samples were taken from TripAdvisor of 110 and 33 hotels, respectively. From the latter, ten guest reviews were gathered and analysed per hotel, resulting in a total of 330 reviews that were analysed. The study’s findings indicate that TripAdvisor is the largest guest feedback platform for hotels and its data can be considered to be reliable. The TripAdvisor ratings were not connected to the conventional ratings of the sampled hotels. The criteria used in TripAdvisor reviews focused more on service delivery than on the objective tangible elements used in most hotel rating systems. The rich context found in most guest reviews makes the information presented on TripAdvisor valuable. There is no evidence that conventionalrating system controls are linked to the comments found in TripAdvisor reviews. The results facilitated the identification of the delight and frustration factors in services marketing for the hotel industry. A new theory to include guest feedback in hotel ratings is developed and proposed. The study further presents two future scenarios, the most likely one of which predicts the demise of conventional rating systems as a result of the success of guest feedback platforms such as TripAdvisor.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine approaches to CRM within the luxury hotel sector in Cape Town in order to add value not only to guests, but to all stakeholders of the hotel. This was done by conducting a literature review, supported by a sound base of primary research. The findings proved that CRM theory holds true for most luxury hotels and the notion that luxury hotels in modern times cannot afford to be without a CRM initiative, was underpinned. Furthermore, the concept of an aligned strategy and vision in terms of a hotel's CRM approach was found to be integral. Staff buy-in and co-operation are of utmost importance for any hotel property implementing a CRM initiative. Additionally, training and education on the importance of CRM was highlighted as an important factor to get all staff on board. Management needs to become customer relationship management experts themselves in order to inspire and motivate staff to excel at building relationships with guests. Moreover, the common mistake of hotels to place greater impetus on CRM technology than training and lack of leveraging CRM investments was examined as some of the main reasons for the failure of CRM initiatives. Although CRM technologies are extremely powerful tools and may facilitate a hotel's CRM strategy, they cannot be viewed in isolation and made responsible for the success of such a programme. Training is vital to enable staff to use these systems optimally and to turn guest data into gold. The importance of people was also emphasised in the light of personalisation of service; having the correct staff with an aptitude for guest service and hospitality is imperative. Lastly, the concept of customer-centric processes and systems was stressed. Everything a hotel does in terms of CRM efforts should be derived from the notion of guest satisfaction. Guest satisfaction is the one essential element that will enable a hotel to flourish and enjoy a firm base of repeat business. Repeat business is the most rewarding type of business for a hotel as it means that guests are satisfied with their service and will promote the hotel to others at no additional cost to the hotel.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsingstuk was om die houding van luukse hotelle in Kaapstad teenoor kliënte verhoudingsbestuur (KVB) te bepaal en vas te stel hoe alle aandeelhouers van die hotel voordeel kan trek uit KVB. Die doelwit was bereik met behulp van primêre en sekondêre navorsing. Die bevindinge het bewys dat KVB teoreties waarde toevoeg tot meeste luukse hotelle. Die feit is geboekstaaf dat luukse hotelle nie sonder KVB kan oorleef nie. Dit was ook gevind dat 'n geintegreerde strategie en visie van uiterste belang is in KVB in hotelle. Personeel samewerking en entoesiasme is ook uitgelig as belangrike elemente wat die sukses van KVB bepaal. In hierdie opsig, was opleiding 'n integrale faktor tot die bevordering van personeel deelname. Die bestuur van hotelle moet self kundiges raak op die gebied van KVB om sodoende personeel te inspireer en motiveer om ook waardevolle kliënteverhoudinge te bou. Algemene foute wat hotelle begaan in terme van KVB is die feit dat meer klem gelê word op KVB tegnologie as op opleiding en dat die opbrengs op die inisiële belegging in KVB nie in ag geneem word nie. Alhoewel KVB tegnologie van onskatbare waarde is om 'n hotel se KVB strategie suksesvol te maak, kan die sukses van so 'n strategie nie alleenlik daaraan toegeskryf word nie. Ten einde die personeel te bemagtig om hierdie sisteme optimaal te benut, moet opleiding weereens as 'n area van belang beklemtoon word. Nog 'n prioriteit is die kwaliteit van personeel wat aangestel word; personeel moet 'n natuurlike aanvoeling hê vir kliënte diens en persoonlike interaksie.

The tourism and hospitality industry has made a meaningful contribution to the development of the South African economy. Not only the hotels, but also the demand for self-catering holiday properties such as guest houses and bed-and-breakfast (B&B) establishments is increasing which could boost the tourist industry. Moreover, the prospect of the self-catering holiday properties in South Africa is extremely positive, particularly when the country is given the opportunity to hold the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Thus, expectations and perceptions are significantly shaped and transformed by the prosperous environment. The self-catering holiday properties should provide the best possible service to international and domestic tourists and ensure that their needs are fully met. The general purpose of this study was to evaluate the service quality of guest houses and B&Bs in the Nelson Mandela Bay by comparing guests’ expectations and perceptions. The results of this study could assist the managers of guest house and B&B in improving its service performance to more effectively fulfil the needs of dynamic tourist market. The literature study provided an overview of tourism industry from the management and marketing perspectives, services marketing and a detailed discussion of service quality focusing on the nature of services, determinants of service quality and techniques for measuring service quality. The SERVQUAL model and its derivative, Lodging Quality Index (LQI), were adapted for measuring the guests’ perceived service quality in this research. ii The empirical data was collected by means of a survey, using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to guests who were staying at guest houses or B&Bs in the Nelson Mandela Bay identified in terms of convenience sampling. One hundred and five useable questionnaires were received. The empirical findings based on the perception-minus-expectation (P-E) gap analysis showed that the perception mean scores were consistently lower than the expectation mean scores. This implies that guests perceived service quality of guest house and B&B to be relatively low. It is recommended that the managers of guest houses and B&Bs should: {u10007A} uniform the employees; {u10007A} use every tool to figure out what the guest wants; {u10007A} establish specific working procedures and help employees to understand their job responsibilities and mangers’ expectations; {u10007A} invite suggestions of existing located facilities from guests, and move the inconvenient facilities if possible; {u10007A} employ a communication audit to evaluate the overall quality of the communication system by comparing communication objectives to actual performance; {u10007A} combine useful destination information from different sources and update them on the website frequently; and {u10007A} apply an attracting layout to build positive image.

The continued growth of service industries and the development of the experience economy has highlighted the need for employees to have extensive social and interpersonal skills. The need for employee interpersonal skills is further emphasised by the extensive interaction between employees and customers, during the provision of customer service, in full service hotels. Despite the heterogeneous nature of the customer service environment, management expect that a consistent level of service will be maintained, while customers desire a unique experience that meets or exceeds their individual expectations. To ensure that both the needs of the organisation and customers are consistently met, management control of employee actions and behaviours is required.The aim of this study was to identify how hotel organisations and managers control employee interpersonal interactions with customers. The research also sought to identify the interpersonal and emotional capabilities employers require from employees to meet the needs of customers and present the desired corporate image. A qualitative, case study, research methodology was applied to understand the expectations of managers, the issues concerning managing employee interactions with customers, perceptions of employee capabilities, and beliefs about current management control strategies in a hotel environment. The research was conducted at four hotel properties belonging to one international hotel group. The data gathering methods included semi-structured interviews, documentation review and field notes.The research concluded that effective alignment of employee and management goal congruence first requires the alignment of managers' goals to the organisation. To ensure management's expectations, customers' expectations and employee actions and behaviours are aligned, management must also have a sound understanding of the organisation's brand and desired image. Cultural and social control mechanisms were found to be important, as they provided a consistent method of aligning employees' behaviour with the goals and expectations of management. The development of social cohesion and norms, through serial and investiture socialisation mechanisms, also helped to create self-managing teams that reinforced the goals of management. The study suggests that, due to the increasing diversity of the stakeholders' views and goals, some of the traditional management perspectives of hospitality may need to change to meet the needs of contemporary employees.

The need for successful management of a guest house in the increasingly competitive hospitality industry in South Africa, compels guest house owners to understand their customers’ needs and deliver service of acceptable quality. The objective of the research is to find out what business travellers expect from a guest house and how these expectations compare with the perceptions of guest house owners in Port Elizabeth. Conclusions drawn from this research would also benefit guest house owners in other parts of the country. A literature review was conducted to provide an understanding of the nature of service and the role “evidence of service” can play in the perception of quality. The empirical study aimed at comparing business travellers’ expectations of guest house service with guest house owners’ perceptions of their guests’ expectations. The empirical findings showed that business travellers deemed secure parking and professionalism of staff as the most important attributes, while guest house owners thought it would be friendliness of front desk staff and efficient handling of complaints. Moreover, both groups indicated that cleanliness of rooms and services performed by staff adequately the first time, were of particular importance. It was also found that the importance rating of the different service dimensions were not significantly influenced by the business travellers’ gender, managerial position, nights of stay or by the guest house grading. The study proposes that guest house owners continue to focus on strategies for training and developing competent employees, simplify the steps of service delivery and improve on the standards of the servcie to ensure that business facilities are in line with the expectations of business travelers.

The purpose of the study was to investigate cultural aspects that influence customer perception of service quality in the hotel industry, specifically those that influence Eastern and Western respondents. A questionnaire was developed to assess cultural differences on perceptions, which included a modified version of the SERVQUAL scales, an instrument used to measure service quality. The convenience sample consisted of students enrolled in the MBA program at a Western university (N=152; Eastern=57.9%, Western=34.9%, Other=7.2%). Findings indicated that there were no significant differences between Eastern and Western cultures in perceptions of service quality. A sample questionnaire is included.

A good understanding of customer expectations is very important to service providers. Since the Chinese first came to South Africa and started their restaurant businesses. Chinese fine-dining restaurants have become more and more popular. Identifying the customer expectations and Chinese fine-dining restaurant owner perceptions will help Chinese service providers to understand better the restaurant businesses. To ensure the development of the Chinese restaurant business in South Africa, it is very important to understand what South African customers want, whether there are differences between the Chinese restaurant owner perceptions of the service quality and South African customer expectations of the service quality. This would depend on the customers’ preferences, and provide a positive contribution to customer decision-making. Therefore, it is essential to understand and identify what is customer expectations are, what the management perceptions are and the differences between them. 5 In order to achieve the objectives of the research, the following approach was followed: Factors that influence the customer expectations and management perceptions are explained. Five factors used to measure the service quality of Chinese fine-dining restaurants are identified, namely reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibility. The responses to the questionnaire were collected and analysed to determine the extent to which factors are both important to customer expectations and management perceptions.

Thesis (M. Tech.(Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2010
Globally, tourism is increasingly referred to as the world's biggest industry. As tourism increases so the consumer’s demand for quality in all its related products and services increase. Superior customer service can therefore be viewed as one of the most effective strategies to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The delivery of excellent service is crucial if a tourism destination such as the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area in the Northern Cape, South Africa, is to enhance its visitors’ experience and ensure their extended stay. One of the key constraints to tourism growth that has been identified is the lack of product and service quality. The primary goal of the study therefore was to investigate the perceptions of tourists on the quality of tourism service in the Sol Plaatje Area. Another primary goal was to determine the quality of service by conducting unstructured interviews with role-players in the local tourism industry. Secondary objectives were set, namely to determine the service needs of foreign and domestic tourists, and to make recommendations and suggestions to increase service quality in the Sol Plaatje Area. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument and distributed to domestic and foreign tourists. Three sampling points were selected to conduct the survey (250 questionnaires), namely the departure hall of Kimberley Airport, the Big Hole and the McGregor Museum. Results indicated that although the majority of tourists (83.4% of domestic and 93.8% of foreign respondents) were generally satisfied with the service they received and would promote the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as a tourist destination, a large number of respondents (32.1%) rated their satisfaction with service delivery as average to poor. This is an indication that improvement is needed in the delivery of quality service. Unstructured interviews (conducted by the researcher) with 20 major role-players in the local tourism industry indicated that the majority (60%) perceived the service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as average to poor and not exceeding the expectations of tourists. Overall, the results indicated the need for the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area to improve its tourism service delivery in order to exceed tourist expectations and compete with other destinations locally and abroad. The findings of this study contribute valuable information and insights into the quality of service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area. It will therefore be beneficial to all tourism stakeholders to provide visitors with the best service experience in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area.

The basic purpose of this study was to examine the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction, perceived customer value and behavioral intentions, in three, four and five star hotels in Ethiopia. Additionally, an attempt was made to assess the differences pertaining to these constructs across customer profile (e.g., gender, nationality etc.) and hotel characteristics (e.g., star ratings etc.). A quantitative survey approach was used to obtain primary data from the respondents (hotels’ guests/customers) by administering the structured questionnaire. The original SERVPERF dimensions and related items were modified to best fit with hotel sector, by using desk review and preliminary interviews with manager, consultants and corporate clients of the hotels. A pilot study was carried out with 35 hotel customers to test the initial reliability and validity of the instrument. The final questionnaire was distributed to 440 respondents from 44 hotels (under three, four and five star categories), by using stratified (proportionate) random sampling. Of the distributed questionnaires, 435 were collected back (over 98% return rate), as completely filled, and used for the purpose of analysis. Descriptive statistics (mean score and standard deviation) were used to examine the customers’ perceptions of service quality, customer value, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. To identify the key service quality dimensions in the Ethiopian hotel sector, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed. The results revealed six underlying factors, namely: Assurance, Reliability, Responsiveness, Empathy, Room Tangibles and Food & Beverage Tangibles. Regression analysis was carried out to examine the relationship between the study constructs, whereby perceived service quality was found to be maintaining significantly (p<0.05) positive influence on customer value, satisfaction and behavioral intentions (measured as customer revisits and word-of-mouth recommendations) in the Ethiopian hotel sector. Moreover, both customer value and satisfaction were observed to be partially mediating the influence of service quality on behavioral intentions, with higher contribution from satisfaction than perceived value. Finally, the respondents’ nationality, gender, visit purpose, length of stay, hotel location and star category were found to be determining their perceptions of overall service quality. However, further research is needed before generalizing these relationships to other sectors/contexts.
Business Management
D.B.L.

This relationship marketing study investigates the influence of national culture on the development of host-guest relationships between local and international tourists and Thai resort operators on Samui Island, Thailand. It proposes that a quality relationship between tourists and resort operators, which is characterised by high levels of trust and commitment, is the major determinant of customer loyalty. In particular, it concentrates on the major cultural differences between Thai and Australian tourists that impinge upon host-guest relationship development. To assist in the study, a research model developed by Morgan and Hunt (1994) was modified and used to conceptualise host-guest relationships and to inform the data collection procedure. Based on survey data collected from Australian and Thai tourists that arrived on Samui Island between January and February 2005, it was found that Australian and Thai respondents have different service experiences during their vacation. Moreover, they also weigh the importance of the antecedents of trust and commitment differently. The findings of the study highlight the need for resort operators to interact with tourists in a culturally sensitive manner. The managerial implications of the results of this study for resort operators are presented, and some recommendations for future service management and delivery strategies are suggested.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Hospitality and Tourism Management, Durban University of Technology, 2017.
The purpose of this research study was to investigate the influence of service quality on the post-dining behavioural intentions of customers in a fine dining setting. The National Restaurant Association (2014 as cited in Ruggless 2014: 20 stated that the fine dining restaurant segment is constantly losing out on the restaurant industry market share. In order to remain competitive, restaurants need to tender service that meets the expectations of customers, as perceived service quality affects post-dining behavioural intentions (Prayag, Khoo-Lattimore and Sitruk 2015: 27). In an attempt to devise strategies to rescue the sinking fine dining restaurant segment, this research study developed a conceptual framework model and tested its paths through path analysis, using structural equation modelling. The research study modified a DINESERV scale to obtain primary data from respondents. The modified DINESERV attained a high reliability and validity score. It was further subjected to confirmatory factor analyses and all the KMO and Bartlett’s requirements for factor analysis were satisfied. Data was collected by means of self-administered questionnaires at Cargo Hold restaurant after agreement was reached with the management team. The convenience sampling method of data collection was applied. Diners were only given the questionnaire upon receipt of their consent to participate in this study. A total of 400 survey questionnaires were distributed. However, only 361 were deemed suitable for analysis. These 361 usable survey questionnaires represent a 90.25% response rate for this research study. Hypotheses were tested on a hybrid of structural equation modelling path analysis and Spearman’s correlation coefficients. The results showed a positive correlation between service quality and behavioural intentions, with customer satisfaction indirectly exerting a significant effect between these constructs. The research study concludes with implications and direction for future research.
M

Abstracts in English, Southern Sotho and Zulu
The primary objective of the study was to explore customers’ perceptions of the service quality provided in the hotel industry, in Pretoria. Considering the growth of the hotel industry in Pretoria, this study revealed that customers expect to receive a high level of service quality, which will lead to customer satisfaction and produce a positive perception of hotel service. An exploratory research design was adopted in this study and qualitative data were collected through interviewing customers of a hotel. In terms of limitations, this study was conducted at one selected hotel in Pretoria. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse collected data. The analysis of the data identified a number of specific themes that were relevant to shaping the perceptions of the respondents, in terms of service quality and their satisfaction with the service quality received. The themes supported existing literature in terms of the factors influencing perceptions of service and the specific influences within those themes were elaborated on, leading to recommendations for managing service quality perceptions in the hotel industry.
Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla maikutlo a badiriši mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tše di abiwago ka intastering ya dihotele ka Pretoria. Ka ge di hlokometše kgolo ya intasteri ya dihotele ka Pretoria, dinyakišišo tše di utollotše gore ba emetše go hwetša ditirelo tša boleng, tšeo di tlago feletša ka go kgotsofala ga badiriši le go tšweletša maikutlo a makaone a tirelo ya dihotele. Tlhamo ya dinyakišišo tša go utolla e dirišitšwe ka mo dinyakišišong tše gomme tshedimošo ya boleng e kgobokeditšwe ka go botšiša badiriši ba dihotele dipotšišo. Mabapi le mellwane, dinyakišišo tše di dirilwe ka hoteleng e tee yeo e kgethilwego ka Pretoria. Softewere ya Atlas.ti e šomišitšwe go sekaseka tshedimošo ye e kgobokeditšwego. Tshekatsheko ya tshedimošo e utollotše merero ye mmalwa ye itšego yeo e bego e le maleba mabapi le go beakanya maikutlo a baarabi, mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo le go kgotsofala ga bona mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tšeo di hweditšwego. Merero e thekgile dingwalwa tše di lego gona mabapi le mabaka ao a huetšago maikutlo ka ga ditirelo gomme dikhuetšo tše itšego ka gare ga merero yeo di hlathollotšwe, gomme se sa feletša ka ditšhišinyo tša go laola maikutlo ka ga boleng bja ditirelo ka intastering ya dihotele.
Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola imibono yamakhasimende ngekhwalithi yesevisi enikezwa embonini yamahhotela, ePitoli. Uma kubhekwa ukukhula komkhakha wamahhotela ePitoli, lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi amakhasimende alindele ukuthola izinga eliphakeme lezinsizakalo, okuzoholela ekwanelisekeni kwamakhasimende futhi kuveze umbono omuhle wensizakalo yamahhotela. Lolu cwaningo oluchazayo lwamukelwe kanti lakhelwe phezulu kwemininingwane ebhekelele ubunjalo besimo yaqoqwa ngokuxoxisana namakhasimende asehhotela. Ngokwemikhawulo, lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ehhotela elilodwa elikhethiwe ePitoli. Kusetshenziswe isofthiweye noma uhlelo lokusebenza elibizwa nge-Atlas.ti ukuhlaziya imininingwane eqoqiwe. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombe izingqikithi ezithile ebezifanele ukwakhela imibono yabaphenduli, ngokuya ngekhwalithi yesevisi nokweneliseka kwazo ngekhwalithi yesevisi etholakele. Izindikimba zisekele imibhalo ekhona ngokwezinto ezinomthelela emibonweni yesevisi kanye nemithelela ethize kulezo zingqikithi yachazwa kabanzi, okuholela ezincomweni zokuphatha imibono yekhwalithi yesevisi embonini yamahhotela.
Business Management
M. Com. (Business Management)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree: Doctor of Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2012.
There is extensive focus on the practical performance of ecotourism in respect of environmentally invasive activities and the satisfaction of ecotourists in South Africa. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of quality management practices on service quality in the accommodation sector serving ecotourism destinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was conducted at 58 hotels within a 50 kilometre proximity to ecotourism development regions of KwaZulu-Natal province. Two separate self-administered questionnaires were designed for the hotel managers and for their guests. A quantitative approach and a census of 58 managers were conducted and the guest response of 587 was obtained using convenience sampling. The results revealed that there are mismatches in guests’ actual experience on the variables of interest for customer service quality and the importance they attach to each variable. The experience-importance findings show that most guests rated their experiences above the importance they attach to those experiences. Little attention has been paid to hotel service quality research pertaining specifically to quality-related performance. This study fills this gap by identifying congruent hotel service quality attributes and relating these to management performance by analysing the importance of these attributes for hotel-guests seeking experiences of the natural environment. The results of the study offer measures for ecotourism service quality enhancement for the ecotourists experience at the hotels and a starting point for hotel managers to optimise the service quality growth and development while protecting the resources on which they are based. Quality function deployment has emerged as a significant tool to guide hotel managers in ecotourism destinations to attain planned levels of guest service quality and formulate a well-informed and systematic framework that will advance strategies for service quality enhancement.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Indianapolis is considered by many a competitive, large population city with incredible resources for business conferences and event tourism. The city’s flagship event, The Indianapolis 500, has paved the way for the city’s success. With initiative, planning, construction, and implementation the city’s tourism prowess has grown over the past three decades. Indianapolis has become host to a plethora of mid-size and large conferences every year, a regular on the host circuit for the NCAA Final Four, host of the annual Big Ten basketball tournament and most recently the host of the 2012 Super Bowl. Indianapolis continuously attempts to bring in more events every year. Not many residents get to see, or are even aware of, the associates busy at work attempting to fill hotel rooms, conference centers and stadiums. The Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) of the city are constantly working and tweaking strategies to increase exposure and get tourists excited about visiting Indianapolis. However, it is difficult to identify what truly separates Indianapolis as a tourist destination from any other competitive, second-tier population, landlocked city. Centrality within the country and the tourism infrastructure may be argued, but a representative from nearly any city in competition with Indianapolis may make a counterpoint to most resources. Instead of running in circles with this argument, this thesis looks to probe into a resource for Indianapolis that could be turned into a strong marketing tool for tourism: its employees. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of resident contact employees in the food service and lodging industries concerning Indianapolis’ tourism attributes, and their relation to Indianapolis’ destination marketing and managerial strategies.