Summary of doctoral thesis impact of service quality of travel cruise ship in quang ninh province to satisfaction and loyalty of customer

MINISTRY

OF EDUCATION

FOREIGN

SUMMARY

IMPACT
TRAVEL

TRADE

AND TRAINING

UNIVERSITY

OF DOCTORAL

THE

OF SERVICE QUALITY

OF

CRUISE SHIP IN QUANG

SATISFACTION

AND LOYALTY

Business management
Sector code: 9340101

NGUYEN THI SAM

HANOI - 2023

NINH PROVINCE
OF CUSTOMER

TO


The thesis is completed at: Foreign Trade University, No. 91 Lang Chua, Dong Da, Hanoi
Science instructor:

1. Dr. Bui Lien Ha

2. Dr. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung
Respondent 1:
Respondent 2:
Respondent 3:

The thesis will be defended in front of the School-level Thesis Review Board meeting at

At.....hour....day....month....year....

The thesis can be consulted at the National Library and the Foreign Trade University library

1
INTRODUCTION
1. The urgency of the subject
Service quality in general and cruise ship service quality in particular are also facing problems
that need to be supplemented on the main factors in quality assessment, which theoretical model
has high reliability should be tested. applied in assessing the service quality of cruise ships? Who
evaluates the quality of cruise ship services most objectively and based on what factors? What is
the relationship between cruise ship service quality and tourist behavior? Therefore, it is necessary
to research to determine the relationship of factors in assessing the quality of cruise ship services
in order to increase visitor satisfaction and loyalty.

In Vietnam, studies on the quality of tourism services are of great interest to researchers, most

of the studies focus on hotels, restaurants, and tourist resorts. However, there are very few studies
related to the topic of service quality of cruise ships. Part of the reason is that this type is quite
specific and new and volatile, especially because most of the seaports in Vietnam are just
transshipment ports, so the research in this field is still limited
It can be seen that, in terms of the potential for developing this type of tourism in Vietnam, it
can be seen that with its rich marine resources, our country is considered a strong magnet for ship
tourism, especially when the Coastal provinces and cities all possess beautifull landscapes with
imprints of history, culture, heritage, cuisine.... along with the investment in building and
upgrading the system of hotels and coastal resorts increasingly. complete.
Quang Ninh is a province with a modem seaport system including 06 ports: Hon Gai guest
port, Van Gia port, Mui Chua port, Van Don general port, Van Hoa port, and Co To port.
Specifically, the infrastructure of ports and wharfs in the period up to 2030 is as follows: (i) Hon
Gai passenger port: to invest in the construction of Ocean Park side to receive North - South
tourist ships, intemational passenger ships of high quality, and to receive international traffic.
tonnage from 100,000 - 225,000 GT (in the future to 250,000 GT), the number of berths will grow
according to actual requirements; (ii) Van Gia Wharf: developed according to demand, including
mooring buoy transshipment berths for ships of 5,000-10,000 tons and inland waterways for small

vessels at Dan Tien and berths on Ka Long river.
However, the development of sea and island tourism in the province has not really promoted
its advantages to attract tourists. Therefore, the study on the quality of this type of tourism aims
to assess the current status of cruise ship service quality and propose solutions to improve the

quality of this type of service towards maximizing the tourism potential. The island's history here
has practical significance.
Therefore, the thesis " The influence of cruise ship service quality in Quang Ninh province
on customer satisfaction and loyalty" wants to focus on research and analysis of the factors that
make up Service quality of cruise ships in Quang Ninh province, applied to the analysis of the
actual situation of the impact relationship between cruise ship service quality on the satisfaction


2

and loyalty of tourists, thereby serving as a basis for the proposal. Producing solutions for
businesses, investors and recommendations for state management agencies in developing this
type of tourism in Quang Ninh in particular and Vietnam in general.
2. Objectives, research tasks and research questions
2.1. Objectives of the study
The thesis focuses on research in order to establish the factors constituting the service
quality of cruise ships; measure and verify the influence of cruise ship service quality on tourist
satisfaction and loyalty.
2.3. Research question
The thesis will clarify the following research questions:
(i) What background theory is used to evaluate the influence of cruise ship service quality
on tourist satisfaction?

(i) How is the scale of quality factors of cruise ship services built?
(iii) Which model is used to assess the influence of service quality on tourist satisfaction

and loyalty?
(iv) Is there any difference in visitor satisfaction and loyalty according to the demographic
characteristics of the survey visitors?
(v) What conclusions are drawn after studying the influence of cruise ship service quality
on the satisfaction and loyalty of tourists in Quang Ninh province? Are there any suggested
implications for state management of cruise tourism?

3. Object and scope of research
3.1. Research subjects
- Data collection unit: the indicators reflect the quality of cruise ship services of shipping
lines operating in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh. These indicators include secondary indicators and

primary indicators.

- Unit of analysis: The tourists used cruise ship services in Quang Ninh and were willing

to participate in the survey for this study.

3.2. Research scope
- In terms of content: The thesis focuses on studying the factors constituting the quality of
cruise ship services in Quang Ninh province; Indicators in terms of economic aspects of cruise
ship service quality.
- Scope of elements constituting quality service for cruise ships: In the thesis, the author
only focuses on studying the main factors constituting service quality of cruise ships according to
SERVQUAL of Parasuraman et al (1988) within five years. components include, which are: (1)


3

trustworthiness; (2) responsiveness; (3) warranties; (4) empathy and (5) tangibles. The thesis adds

elements (6) Security and safety according to Article 13 of Circular 43/2012/TT-BGTVT

stipulating technical requirements and environmental protection for ships staying overnight in

tourism, restaurants , floating hotel issued by the Minister of Transport.
~ In terms of time: The scope of the thesis in terms of time is the period 2018 - 2022, the
investigation time is 2022.

- In terms of space: The thesis focuses on researching services on cruise ships licensed for
business on the Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long route according to Decree No. 128/2018/ND-CP
dated 24/9/ 2018 of the Government. The study only focuses on assessing the quality of cruise
ship services (marine cruise ships) serving tourists on the Ha Long Bay - - Bai Tu Long route by
sea transport according to QCVN 81:2014/BGTVT, not The object of the study is the
international cruise ships arriving in Ha Long, Quang Ninh.
4, Research Methodology
The thesis uses a combination of two methods: with qualitative research, the thesis
approaches the desk research method; expert interview method. With a quantitative research

method, the thesis uses a descriptive statistics method, partial least square structural equation

modeling (PLS SEM) method. The following is a summary of the methods used in the thesis.
5, New contributions of the thesis

(2) In terms of theory, the thesis complements and completes the theoretical framework on ship
service quality and the thesis contributes to introduce and popularize the theory of cruise ship
service quality ~a theory that is still very new in Vietnam. Currently.
(3) Inpractice, the thesis has verified the relationship between the service quality of cruise ships,
tourist accommodation and the satisfaction and loyalty of tourists. On the other hand, multi-group
structural analysis aims to understand the difference in satisfaction rating according to the
demographic characteristics of visitors.

(4) In terms of applicability, the thesis has been suggested and consulted for groups of subjects
including: Tourism State Administration of Tourism, investors and enterprises involved in the
business of boat service, accommodation and tourism. in Quang Ninh in order to develop
diversified types of cruise ships, attract tourists to come back and use this service in Quang Ninh
in the period of 2025-2030.
6. Structure of the thesis

In addition to the introduction, conclusion and list of references, the thesis includes five
chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation:
Chapter 2: Theoretical basis and research model:


Chapter 3: Research Methodology:
Chapter 4: Analysis of research results:
Chapter 5: Some recommendations to improve the quality of cruise ship services for tourist
accommodation in Quang Ninh province.
CHAPTER

1: OVERVIEW
OF

THE

RESEARCH

1.1. Research on quality service of cruise ships
1.1.1. Research on scale of quality service
Through both foreign and domestic research, it can be seen that service quality has been
recognized as a strategic variable in achieving efficiency and effectiveness in business

operations (Babakus and Boller, 1992). Studies have shown that:
Firstly, service quality evaluation is multi-dimensional (Ekinci, 2002). One of the most
widely used measurement scales in service quality evaluation is SERVQUAL (Cronin and
Taylor, 1992; Oh, 1999). The SERVQUAL questionnaire was developed by Parasuraman,
Zeithaml, and Berry (1988). Therefore, to evaluate the quality of tourist ship services, in
addition to adopting the measurement scale from the SERVQUAL model, studies need to
identify new factors that affect service quality in specific contexts.

Secondly, service quality has a significant impact on the post-consumption behavior of

customers, such as satisfaction, perceived value, intention to repurchase, and word-ofmouth communication (Cronin et al., 2000; Dabholkar et al., 2000).

Thirdly, the importance of perceived quality has not been fully recognized in the tourism
industry. Clearly, no studies have jointly verified the impact of three aspects of service
quality (i.e., physical environment quality, interaction quality, and outcome quality) on
outcome variables in the context of a journey. A comprehensive measure of service quality
is needed to identify service quality attributes that can be applied to cruise lines, which is
extremely important for understanding customer post-consumption behavior on cruise

ships.

Therefore, the content and research space of the thesis do not overlap with other studies,

and the implementation of the research topic is objectively necessary.

1.2. Studies on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the cruise ship tourism business.
1.1.2 Research on tourist satisfaction.

Around the world, previous studies on satisfaction have often focused on satisfaction with

products or services. Satisfaction is an assessment made when customers’ experiences with

a product or service are at least as good as expected (Hunt, 1977). Tourists’ satisfaction is


5

related to the degree of meeting general and specific needs according to conditions
(Dmitrovic et al., 2009). Satisfaction with a specific transaction is evaluated immediately
after purchase or positive feelings about recent transaction experiences (Oliver, 1993).
Storbacka et al. (1994) pointed out that individuals use their experience to form perceptions
and evaluations of service relationships, thus forming the level of satisfaction.
1.2.2. Research on customer loyalty in tourism
Through an overview of research on loyalty, it can be seen that there is a wealth of diverse
literature on the topic. Studies have highlighted the benefits and purposes of maintaining
customer loyalty in business operations and affirm the dependent relationship between
service quality and customer loyalty (Boulding, Kalra, Stealin, & Zeithaml, 1993; Headley
& Miller, 1993), with customer satisfaction playing an intermediary role between service
quality and customer loyalty (Benjamin, 2006; Caruana, Money, & Berthon, 2000;
Dhandabani, 2010; Ilias & Panagiotis, 2010; Izogo & Ogba, 2015; Olorunniwo & Hsu,
2006). However, despite the diverse contexts in which research has been conducted, loyalty
research in the tourism shipping industry is still very limited, especially in new research
contexts such as Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh.
1.3. Research on the relationship between cruise ship service quality and tourist
satisfaction and loyalty
The relationship between Service Quality - Customer Satisfaction - Customer Behavior
(SQ-CS-CB) is a causal structure, consisting of three interconnected stages of the service

process: pre-service, service usage, and post-service. It is assumed that service expectations,
at least to some extent, occur in the pre-service stage, SQ perception appears in the pre-

service and post-service stages, CS in the service provision stage and post-service, and CB
in the post-service stage. Studies conducted both globally and in Vietnam have shown the
existence of a dialectical relationship between Service Quality - Customer Satisfaction Customer Loyalty in different research contexts. However, there is currently no research
that investigates the relationship between the service quality of tourist ships and customer

satisfaction and loyalty in Quang Ninh, Vietnam. Therefore, the content and research space
of this thesis do not overlap with other studies, and conducting this research is objectively
necessary.
1.4, Research gap research questions
An overview of research conducted around the world indicates that the study of service
quality in the tourism cruise industry is not a new phenomenon. However, from the analysis
of the current state of research, it is evident that the topic of service quality in the tourism

cruise industry, particularly the factors that influence service quality, still requires further
exploration.


6

Firstly, theoretical research on service quality in the tourism cruise industry is still a new
field and the number of studies conducted globally and in Vietnam is limited. As a result,

the conceptual framework and related theories regarding this topic still require exploration.

Secondly, research on service quality in the tourism cruise industry in Vietnam, particularly
in Quang Ninh province, will provide a new perspective on this type of service in Vietnam,

especially in the context of Vietnam emerging as a country with great potential for

developing coastal and island tourism in the region and the world.
Thirdly, supplementing the role of security and safety to the quality of tourism boat

services... Research on security and safety factors for tourists in the tourism service sector

shows that customers are increasingly concerned about security and safety when deciding
to purchase products and services.
Based on the identified gaps in the literature review, this thesis will clarify the following
research questions:

(@) What factors contribute to the formation of service quality in the tourism cruise industry
in Quang Ninh?
(ii) Which model is used to measure the impact of service quality on the satisfaction and
loyalty of tourists in the tourism cruise industry?

(iii) Are there any differences in the satisfaction and loyalty of tourists based on the
demographic characteristics of the surveyed tourist population?
(vi) What conclusions can be drawn from the study of the impact of service quality on tourist
satisfaction and loyalty in Quang Ninh province? Are there any implications proposed for

the state management subject regarding tourist ship tourism?


7
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL

BASIS AND RESEARCH

MODEL

2.1. The theoretical basis for cruise ship service quality

2.1.1. Theories related to service quality
2.1.1.1 . Gronroos' Technical/Functional Quality Rating Model (1984)
This is the first attempt to introduce a practical model for measuring perceived service
quality. The main issue with this model is the lack of explanation of technical quality and
functional quality measurements. In the following years, Rust and Oliver (1994) developed this
model by adding another aspect to Gronroos' (1984) model, which is Service Environment. The
two other aspects they proposed are Service Product (ie., technical quality) and Service Delivery
(i.e. functional quality), but they did not test their model and some support was found when using
and testing this model.
Expected
Service

Perceived Service Quality

Traditional marketing
activities (advertising.
field selling. PR, pricing):
and external influence by
uaditions, ideology and
word-of-mouth

What?

Functional
Quality

How?

Figure 2.1. Technical quality/functional quality model
Source: Gronroos 1984
2.1.1.2. The service quality gap model of Parasuraman and colleagues... (1985)
Based on Gronroos' model, Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) proposed a new
model to measure service quality by measuring the gap between perceived service and expected
service. Their theory of using gap analysis in service quality is depicted in Figure 2.2. In this
exploratory study, they found that there were five gaps between expectations and perceptions of
service quality that needed to be measured.


=

{Expected sensice Ì

=

Gaps |

Figure 2.2. Service quality gap model
Source: Parasuraman and colleagues (1985)
2.1.1.3. Performance-based evaluation model of Cronin and Taylor (1992).
Investigating the relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction, and
purchase intention was their study; they believed that service quality is a prerequisite for

customer satisfaction. They proposed a new model of service quality based on SERVQUAL
related to the conceptualization and measurement of service quality using performance as the
sole measure for the service quality model named SERVPERF. In this new model, Cronin and

Taylor (1992) measured performance (perceived service) with the same dimensions as
reliability, responsiveness, assurance, tangibles, and empathy to measure service quality instead

of the "expectation-perception” gap.

2.1.1.4. The antecedent and intermediate model of Dabholkar and colleagues (2000)

This is a comprehensive model for evaluating service quality. The research found that
factors related to service quality should be viewed as antecedents rather than components of it,
and customer satisfaction serves as a strong mediator for the impact of service quality on

behavioral intention. Specifically, the study answered the following questions:

First, are factors related to service quality viewed as components or antecedents of it better?

Second, what role does customer satisfaction play in the impact of service quality on customer
behavior?
The study by Dabholkar et al. (2000) is illustrated through model 2.3 as follows:


Antecedents Model of Service Quality

Reliability

Mediator Model of Customer Satisfaction

Personal
Attention
Comfort

5
Service

|

Quality

Customer

Satisfaction

Behavioral
Intentions

Figure 2.3. Antecedent and intermediate models
Source: Dabholkar and colleagues (2000)
2.1.2. A general overview of the quality of cruise ship tourism.
2.1.2.2. The Concept of cruise ship service quality
Despite different opinions about service quality, researchers have pointed out that service
quality must start with the evaluation of customers on the services provided. Therefore, the
concept of service quality in cruise tourism has been mentioned in many documents both
domestically and internationally. However, within the scope of the thesis, the author chooses the
approach to service quality in cruise tourism according to Yoon (2020): "Service quality in cruise
tourism is the evaluation of customers on the overall service attributes provided by the providers",
2.1.2.3. Criteria for measuring cruise ship service quality
Through the review of the literature and the 4 criteria for selection, the thesis has identified
6 factors for measuring the quality of tourist ship services, including 5 factors based on the
SERVQUAL model (Parasuraman, and colleagues 1988) and an additional factor of Security and
Safety (David Baker, 2013). These 6 factors will be used to measure the quality of ship services
and evaluate the relationship between the quality of ship services and customer satisfaction and
loyalty when using tourist ship services in Quang Ninh province.
2.2. Theoretical basis explaining the relationship between service quality - satisfaction loyalty of tourists using cruise ship services
2.2.1. Theory of Satisfaction and relationship with service quality

Regarding the relationship between quality and satisfaction, despite the ongoing debate in
the literature about the differentiation and overlap of these concepts in service research, some
studies have recognized satisfaction as a prerequisite for quality in tourism-related research
(Bolton & Drew, 1991). However, some studies suggest the quality of service is a prerequisite for
satisfaction (Tian-Cole and colleagues 2002). Subsequent studies have examined the linkage

between satisfaction and service quality in tourism over the years (Tam, 1999; Correia &


10
Miranda, 2008; He & Song, 2009; Brodie and colleagues., 2009; Saha & Theingi, 2009; ForgasColl and colleagues., 2014), with few studies finding no relationship between these two factors
(Lee, Petrick & Crompton, 2007; Etemad-Sajadi & Rizzuto, 2013).
2.2.2. Visitor loyalty and relationship with service quality
One of the key focuses of structural models in consumer behavior is the (direct or indirect)
effects of quality on loyalty (Bloemer and colleagues 1999; Cronin and colleagues., 2000; Bei &
Chiao, 2001; Brady and colleagues., 2005). In tourism research, the relationship between loyalty
and quality has long yielded varied results: in early studies, this relationship was significant for
destinations according to Murphy and colleagues. (1997), but had little significance for hotels
according to Kashyap & Bojanic
2.2.3. Theory explains the relationship between service quality - satisfaction — loyalty
Within the scope of this thesis, the author will adopt some parts of the research by Cronin
and colleagues. (2000) and Brady and colleagues. (2005) as the basis for proposing the research
model in Section 2.3 of this thesis.
2.3. Propose research models and hypotheses
Based on the relationship between the theories presented in Chapter 2 and the overview of the
research proposed in Chapter 1, the author proposes the following research model:

Quality of cruise
ship service

Figure 2.5. Proposed research model
Source: Author's suggestion
2.3.1. Influence of cruise ship service quality on customer satisfaction
Within the scope of this thesis, the author will develop a service quality scale that is
composed of five dimensions inherited from the SERVQUAL scale by Parasuraman and
colleagues. (1988), including (1) assurance; (2) reliability; (3) empathy; (4) responsiveness; and
(5) tangibles, with a total of 22 items.


ll

Regarding the relationship between service quality and satisfaction, in addition to the debates
Hypothesis HI: Assurance has a positive impact on satisfaction.
Hypothesis H2: Reliability has a positive impact on satisfaction
Hypothesis H3: Empathy has a positive impact on satisfaction.
Hypothesis H4: Responsiveness has a positive impact on satisfaction.
Hypothesis H5: Tangibles have a positive impact on satisfaction
Hypothesis H6: Security and safety have a positive impact on satisfaction
2.3.2. Effect of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty
Customer satisfaction is one of the most important factors in evaluating the effectiveness

of product and service provision, reflecting the survival and expansion capabilities of businesses
(Sun and colleagues., 2013). Satisfaction is a positive evaluation and feedback from customers
about their expectations being met after experiencing a specific service (Oliver and colleagues.,
1997). Therefore, the study proposes the hypothesis:
H7: Customer satisfaction has a positive effect on loyalty.


12
'CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODS

3.1. Research process
The research process of the thesis is carried out according to the process including the
following steps:
* Keywords: Cruise ship; CLD: Satisfaction; Loyalty
Find out research gape
* Keywords: Cruse ship; CLDV: Satistaetion: Loyalty
Find out research gaps

‘Systematize the (heo => Analyze the station => Propose solutions

“Theory of service quality, Theory of customer satisfaction and
loyalty

‘Theory of service quality,
“Theory of customer satsaction and loyalty

3.2. Research Methods

{Indepth interview
{Survey by survey
+ Use Excel and SimanPLS to
analyze data

Figure 3.1. Thesis research process
Source: Author's suggestion

To ensure objectivity, comprehensiveness and accuracy, the thesis uses a combination
of both primary and secondary data research methods.

3.2.1. Methods of collecting and analyzing secondary data


Goma
tse o
‘ean NaSis Deprtaet

* Practiceenedeelpig
te
‘ypeot
sip ervce
‘mang Nin
ens
of iy
‘eon salonlỹ

* Specie agains
Wer

Figure 3.2. Secondary data collection and analysis process

Method
in-depth interview
Theoretical basis
“Based on the results of
secondary data analysis

* Leader of eruise ship business
* Leader of tourisin department
* Research expert on transportation business

* Direct
* Phone
* Email

survey by survey
* Pilot survey of 87 customers
© Edit and complete the survey

||t

3.2.2. Primary data collection and analysis

Source: Author's suggestion

= Overall: 502 votes
©= 2Convenient
samples forsampling
2 groups of

* Mail and e-mail, in person
* Guests using the QN eruise
ship service
* October 4 - May 30, 2022

= XD preliminary survey form
* Build case studies

= 502 qualified votes
© Using PLS - SEM

© Descriptive and Verification
Statistics

Figure 3.3. Primary data collection and analysis

Source: Author's suggestion
CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH RESULTS


14

4.1. Overview of Quang Ninh province, Vietnam
4.1.1. Tourism potential of Quang Ninh province
Quang Ninh is considered as one of the lands with the most outstanding and
unique tourism resources in the country. Here, not only Ha Long Bay, a world
heritage and natural wonder, but also the famous Yen Tu scenic relic site, every year
attracts millions of visitors, Quang Ninh also has more than 600 visitors. monuments,
history, other scenic spots. Thanks to these advantages, over the years, the smokeless
industry of Quang Ninh province has made remarkable developments. Quang Ninh
is striving to become an international tourism center and a leading national tourist
destination.
4.1.2. Geographical location of Quang Ninh seaport.
Quang Ninh province is located in the coastal midland mountainous region of
the Northeast region of Vietnam, running in the direction of Northeast - Southwest
with geographical coordinates: North latitude from 20040! to 21040’; East longitude
from 106025 to 108025; the North borders the People's Republic of China; The
Northwest borders the provinces of Lang Son, Bac Giang; The East and South borders
the Gulf
of Tonkin, Hai Phong city and Hai Duong province.
4.1.3. Service business situation of cruise ships in Quang Ninh.

In 2018, according to a report by the Department of Tourism of Quang Ninh
province, the total number of tourists in Quang Ninh reached: 12.2 million arrivals,
reaching 102%, compared to the plan, an increase of 24% over the same period in
2017. Tourist arrivals to Quang Ninh in 2019 reached 14 million arrivals, reaching
114% compared to 2018. Total tourists to Quang Ninh in 2020, reaching 8.8 million
arrivals, down 36.8% compared to 2019. In 2021 Total tourists in 2021 are estimated
at 4.38 million arrivals, equal to 97% of the planned target;
In 2022, the total number of tourists to Quang Ninh are estimated to reach 11.6
million, an increase of 164.6% compared to 2021.

4.1.4. Overview of cruise ship services in Quang Ninh province
Currently, on HaLong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay (then known as Bay for short)
has 533 ships licensed for tourism activities, of which there are 345 sightseeing boats
with a total of 15,619 seats and 201 accommodation ships with a total capacity of
15,619 seats. The total number of beds is 4,159; The current total transport capacity


15

is 4.3 million passengers/year, which is much higher than the actual passenger
demand (in 2015, the number of tourists visiting the Bay was 2.5 million).
* Types of tourism: Sightseeing tourism; Kayaking tourism; Ecotourism; Resort
tourism; Cultural tourism; Entertainment.

4.2. Sample Descriptive Statistics.
Statistics from official data show that the research sample has obtained 502
valid questionnaires that can be used for analysis.
- By gender and geography: female guests accounted for 64% and male guests
accounted for 36%. By geographical area, the number of domestic visitors
participating in the survey accounted for 80% while the number of international

visitors accounted for 20%.
- By level and income: The income ratio spectrum is divided into 5 levels, in
which the tourist group has an income of less than 5 million/month with the rate of
29% (148 people) and 5-10 million/month, respectively. month with the rate of 24%
(121 people), accounting for the highest rate. Meanwhile, the group of tourists with
incomes belonging to two groups of 10-15 million/month and 15-20 million/month
has a relatively equal proportion, accounting for more than 21% respectively. The
rate of tourists with income over 20 million/month, accounting for the lowest rate of
5% (24 people). Calculating by level shows that the proportion of tourists with
university degrees accounts for 64% of the total number of tourists surveyed. Tourists
at university level accounted for 2nd place in the total number of tourists participating
in the survey, reaching 25%. The group of tourists at the remaining levels accounted
for a relatively small proportion, less than 10%.
- By age and occupation: according to the data obtained, the group of young
tourists (18-25 years old) accounted for a relatively high proportion of 36%.
However, the proportion of guests aged 26-45 years old accounted for the largest
proportion of 53% of the total number of respondents and the lowest was the group
of people over 60 years old (1%). This result also reflects the high similarity with the
occupation rate of tourists with the group of students, students account for 27% (135
people); Tourists who are civil servants and officials occupy the second place with
26% of survey respondents. Tourists are office workers ranked 3rd, accounting for
24% of the total survey participants; Other groups such as self-employed or retired


16

housewives with other occupations have a lower proportion of total tourists
participating in the survey. (Table 4.2; Figure 4.3).
- By class of ship used: According to the class of ship service used, it shows
that the proportion of guests using the 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star classes are quite

similar, accounting for 30% and 31% of the total number of visitors take part in the
survey
The remaining two-star and 6-star ship classes account for a small proportion
of less than 10% (table 4.2; figure 4.4.).
4.3. Research results on the influence of cruise ship service quality on customer
satisfaction.
4.3.1. Results of assessing the fit of the measurement model.
The analysis results show that the Cronbach Alpha coefficient of all 6
components is in the range 0.898 - 0.941, the rho_A coefficient is in the range 0.899
- 0.941, the composite reliability is in the range 0.929 - 0.957 , and the mean extracted
variance coefficients of the factors in the extended SERVQUAL model are all greater
than 0.5 (table 4.4), It shows that the observed variables used to measure the latent
concepts of the research model have the necessary reliability. The latent structures of
the service quality measurement model for accommodation ship services all have
good internal consistency reliability.
Table 4.4. The results of evaluating the reliability of the multi-directional scale
components of the research model
Ingredients
Safe security
Loyalty
Tangible Media
Satisfaction
Reliability
Guarantee
‘Sympathy

Cronbach's
Aggregate
Alpha | rho_A | _ confidence
coefficient

coefficient
0.931
0.930
0.898
0.941
0.915
0.923
0.904

0.931
0.930
0.899
0.941
0.916
0.931
0.907

0.951
0.947
0.929
0.957
0.940
0.943
0.933

‘Average
extracted

h
variance

(AVE)
0.828
0.781
0.767
0.849
0.797
0.767
0.777


Ability to meet

0928

17

| 0929|

0945

0.776

Source: Author's calculations with the support of SmartPLS software
4.3.2 The test results of the SEM equation structure model.

The evaluation of the structural model path coefficient of the model is done by
bootstrapping method. According to Hair Jr., Hult et al. (2016) bootstrapping is an
iterative sampling technique to estimate standard error without forwarding
distributional assumptions. The bootstrap results approximate the normality of the
data. It is used to calculate the significance of the T-statistic in relation to the path

coefficients (Wong 2013).

Figure 4.5. Estimation results by PLS-SEM model (normalized)


18

The results from the table above show the important values for the path
coefficients determined from the bootstrapping process. All 7 hypotheses and
relationships in the structural equation model:
For hypothesis H6: The results from the above table have shown that security
and safety have a positive impact on passenger satisfaction with a regression weight
of 0.386 and a very small P-value (0.000). So hypothesis H6 has been accepted
For hypothesis H5: The results from the above table have shown that tangible
vehicles have a positive impact on passenger satisfaction with a regression weight of
0.100 and a very small P-value (0.002). Hypothesis H5 has been accepted
For hypothesis H7: The results from the above table have shown that
satisfaction has a positive impact on passenger loyalty with the regression weight of
0.860 and a very small P-value (0.000), so Theory H7 has been accepted.
For hypothesis H2: The results from the above table have shown that reliability
has a positive impact on passenger satisfaction with the regression weight of 0.083
and a very small P-value (0.027), so Theory H2 has been accepted.
For hypothesis H1: The results from the above table have shown that assurance
has a positive impact on passenger satisfaction with a regression weight of 0.355 and
a very small P-value (0.000). so Theory HI has been accepted
For hypothesis H3: The results from the above table have shown that empathy
has a positive impact on passenger satisfaction with a regression weight of 0.143 and
a very small P-value (0.001). Hypothesis H3 has been accepted
Finally, For hypothesis H4: The results from the above table have shown that
responsiveness has a positive impact on passenger satisfaction with a regression

weight of 0.119 and a very small P-value (0.028), so hypothesis H4 was accepted.
In addition, the structural path coefficient also revealed that security and safety
factors

have

the

strongest

influence

on

passenger

satisfaction,

next

comes

reassurance, then Sympathy, then responsiveness, followed by tangible means and
trust respectively. This shows that passengers attach great importance to security,

safety and assurance of life and health when traveling on cruise ships staying in
HaLong Bay, especially after having Incidents such as fire, explosion, short circuit
occurred at some yachts in recent times.