American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking ISSN (E): 2832-8078 Volume 5, | Oct., 2022 P a g e | 81 www.americanjournal.org DESTINATION HOSPITALITY SERVICE DELIVERY CAPABILITY AND MARKETING PERFORMANCE OF TOURIST SITES: EVIDENCE FROM SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA * Joseph Sunday Etuk Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management University of Port Harcourt joseph.etuk@uniport.edu.ng A B S T R A C T K E Y W O R D S The South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria has been identified as one of the regions characterized by low tourism patronage despites her huge natural and cultural attraction assets/opportunities and perceived hospitable disposition of her people. Therefore, this study was carried out to empirically ascertain destination hospitality service delivery capability and marketing performance of tourist sites Akwa- Ibom State, South-South Nigeria in terms of tourists’ satisfaction and revisit intention. To carry out the study, a survey method was adopted whereby primary data were obtained from 308 respondents through the questionnaire method. Descriptive and univariate analysis was done using simple percentages, mean score, standard deviation while the Pearson Product Moment Correlation technique was deployed for hypotheses testing. The analyzed data revealed that destination hospitality service delivery was strongly and positively correlated with tourists’ satisfaction, but the correlation with revisit intention to the tourist sites was insignificant. The study concluded that although tourists were not impressed by the hospitality services delivery by hospitality organizations operating around the tourist sites in Akwa- Ibom, they, however, expressed willingness to return to the sites in the future. The study, therefore recommended the provision of adequate and high-quality hotel and restaurant facilities by entrepreneurs for visitors’ fun and relaxation and business sustainability. Destination hospitality service delivery capability, destination marketing performance Introduction Hospitality industry represents an important component of modern tourism industry. Much of what a tourist or visitor enjoys at the destination are services provided by the hospitality industry in the areas of accommodation, foods and beverages, entertainments, etc (Page & Connell, 2006). Thus it has been argued that the tourism can simply be divided into two main segments: the travel and American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 82 www.americanjournal.org hospitality sectors. While the travel sector is concerned with movement/transportation of tourists from one destination to another, the hospitality sector welcomes and takes care of travelers, providing their guests with need- satisfying products/services such as accommodation, food beverage, entertainment, etc at a profit (Bello & Bello, 2017). Good hospitality services at the destination have been recognized as a veritable differentiation strategy. Page and Connell (2006) posit that the quality of hospitality service and the attitude of service personnel and host communities can influence destination image which in turn support visitors’ attitudinal and behavioral intentions. Hospitality services provided in a safe, ambient and courteous environment have become competitive weapons for customer acquisition and retention. Studies show that visitors/tourists patronize destinations characterized by the welcoming attitudes of host communities and service personnel expressed through friendliness, cordiality, respect, goodwill and empathy (Afiesimama, 2018). It, therefore, implies that any destination lacking in those qualities cannot provide a home-away -from home -experience to guests and support destination marketing performance. Destination marketing performance denotes the actual performance of a tourist destination or attraction sites with regard to the numbers of tourists/visitors, their spending, satisfaction, repeat visit, revisit intention and referrals (Ekeke & Ndu, 2021). These metrics are crucial to the destination’s sustainability in the long run which draws substantially from the hospitality service offerings. Etuk and Ugwuonah (2021) identified two domains of destination hospitality. The first domain refers to hospitality services provided by the operators of hospitality organizations at the destinations which include hotels, restaurants/fast food organizations, entertainment centres and fitness centers. The second domain is concerned with the host community hospitality which represents the attitude of the natives toward visitors in particular and hospitality business in general, which if unfavourable, becomes a disincentive to travel and antithetical the growth of hospitality business as expressed through its capability or deficiency. The capability logic posits that variation in the performance and competitiveness of firms is a function of the quality of their capabilities (Morgan, 2012; Barney, 2007). Therefore, it is reasonable to think that heterogeneity in a destination’s performance suggests variation in competitiveness within the various sectors of the tourism industry. In this regard, destination hospitality delivery capability might also provide an insight into destination marketing performance. Nevertheless, this conjecture has been thoroughly empirically ascertained in the Nigerian tourist sites’ context. Consequently, destination hospitality has continued to stimulate empirical interest. While attention has been focused on hotel and food beverage industrial contexts, little research has been undertaken in the context of hospitality in the coastal recreational centres and its effects on destination marketing performance in terms of tourists’ satisfaction and revisit intention, thus creating a knowledge gap in the literature. Research shows that destination hospitality plays a major role in destination performance in other geographical contexts. It therefore, becomes pertinent to wonder if the low tourism patronage in the South-South region of Nigeria might also be explained by the quality of destination hospitality service delivery capability as manifested by the operations of the hospitality businesses and attitude of the host communities. Such a study can add robustness and deepen insight into coastal tourism American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 83 www.americanjournal.org patronage in Nigeria, with theoretical and managerial implications. It is against this backdrop that this study is undertaken to examine the influence of destination hospitality service delivery capability on marketing performance of tourist sites in South-South Nigeria. 2. Literature Review Hospitality Service Delivery Capability Buhalis (2000) identifies accommodation and catering facilities, tourism retailing and other tourist services as elements of tourism amenities. The ability to provide high-quality hospitality services in accommodation, food/beverages and entertainment is considered a measure of destination capability. Okoli (2001) defines hospitality as a cordial, warm and friendly reception and entertainment of guests with liberality and goodwill. This suggests that the availability of the required hospitality infrastructure, facilities and trained service personnel to receive and enhance the memorable stay of tourists at the destination. The quality of hospitality services and other manifestations of warmth and friendships explain the extent of development for a destination. According to (Okoli, 2001), a destination is said to be developed if it possesses quality hospitality/accommodation facilities that offer quality food, drinks, accommodation, and other ancillary services such as car hire, laundry and dry cleaning among others. These facilities are necessary for tourist activity to take place; thus, an essential element in the tourism process (Bagil, 2014). Kotler et al. (2010) report that hospitality service delivery is an indispensable aspect of tourist destination marketing as it provides a comfortable place for visitors to stay as well as what to eat and drink. Local people’s hospitality and attitude toward tourists and contact personnel behaviour has been recognized as a significant social factor, forming part of the macro-environment of a destination which may influence tourists’ satisfaction with their trip. It is, therefore, vital to the success of the destination (Dwyer & Kim, 2003). Local people’s attitude toward tourists is determined by how they perceive the tourism industry. Most residents of a certain destination may positively perceive tourism due to its potential for job creation, income generation and enhanced community infrastructure, thus, leading to a friendly attitude toward tourists. Alternatively, if most residents of a destination negatively perceive tourism due to the socio-cultural and environmental costs, local people’s attitude toward tourists will not be favourable (Andriotis & Vaughan, 2003). (Mzengi, 2016) asserts that hospitality service delivery capability in the tourism context is the integrative organizational efforts in the deployment of relational resources, skill and knowledge, technology to deliver a memorable hospitality experience to guests more than competitors (Bramara & Zeilon, 2013). This view recognizes that hospitality service delivery is a cross-functional activity involving many units of the organizations, market knowledge, technology acquisition and application and contact personnel. What this implies is that tourism service delivery capability is predicated on three pillars: experiential hospitality products, the use of appropriate technology to support service delivery and having service personnel with the right relational skill and knowledge to interact with customers. A tourist organization’s and destination ability to provide an effective hospitality service in experiential product delivery is a crucial marketing capability with a competitive advantage as an invaluable organizational outcome (Denielson, 2015). An important element of a hospitality service delivery capability is customer service, which is the provision of service to customers before, during American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 84 www.americanjournal.org and after a purchase (Mzemgi, 2016). It also means serving the customer excellently, and involves all contacts with the guests at the gate, front desk, restaurants, poolside, house-keeping, bar and other touch-points. The contact could be face-to-face or indirect contact, such as dealing with a complaint letter. Mzemgi explained that customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation. Customer service can be expressed in personal and interpersonal skills such as communication skills, listening skills, language, gestures and posture, telephone techniques. Egombhi (2013) showed that hospitality service delivery capabilities in service reliability, helpfulness, courtesy, service speed and empathy were considered important in guest retention, as it had a positive effect on customer satisfaction and word of mouth valence. Estellani (2000) found that the speed of problem resolution is having a significant impact on delight and repurchase intention of guests. This, implies that having loyal customers not only reduces defection but also improves firms’ image and performance in the market place (Artuğer et al, 2013). Kotler et al. (2010) advocated that all employees must embrace service delivery through effective marketing in the hospitality and travel industries; and should be left to the marketing or sales department. The scholars maintained that marketing must be part of the philosophy of the organization and that the marketing function should be carried out by all line employees, especially those who interact with the customers. They posit that when employees and customers interact, a careless mistake by an employee or an unanticipated request by a guest can result in customer satisfaction. Destination Marketing Performance Destination marketing performance denotes the actual performance of a tourist destination or attraction sites with regard to the numbers of tourists/visitors, their spending, satisfaction, repeat visit, revisit intention and referrals (Ekeke & Ndu, 2021). These metrics are crucial to the destination’s sustainability in the long run which draws substantially from the hospitality service offerings. Implicit in the above definition is the fact that destination marketing performance can be measured objectively (e.g tourist arrivals and tourist expenditure) and subjectively (e.g tourist satisfaction, repeat visit, revisit intention and referrals). In this study the subjective measures were considered since our focus was the visitors’ behavioural outcomes (tourist satisfaction and revisit intention) Tourist Satisfaction: Chen, Huang and Petrik (2016) view tourist satisfaction as the extent of the tourist’s fulfillment of pleasure which occurred from the trip experience about tourist a product or service feature at the destination that matched the tourist’s desires, expectations and wants in association with the trip. Viewed from that standpoint, satisfaction is created by the comparison of the customer’s expectation before and after consumption. In the tourism context, satisfaction is primarily considered a function of pre-travel expectations and post-travel experiences. The tourist is satisfied when experiences go beyond the expectations. However, if the tourist feels displeasure, dissatisfaction will be the expected outcome (Chen & Chen, 2010). Furthermore, Chenini and Touati (2018) state that tourist satisfaction is an overall evaluation of destination performance based on all prior experiences of the tourist with it. Thus, a tourist who receives what he or she expected in terms “of pleasurably memorable touristic experience” is most likely to be satisfied. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 85 www.americanjournal.org Revisit Intention: Ramukumba (2018) conceptualized customer repurchase intention as a “deeply- held commitment to re-buy or re-patronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future’. This perspective tends to confer the idea that repurchase intention is an attitudinal loyalty. In the same vein, Singh, (2018) define attitudinal loyalty as the intention of a consumer to continue his/her relationship with the organization in the future regardless of whether competitors lower their offering prices. Repurchase intention is hypothesized as the willingness to recommend friends and the intention to continue to patronize the organization. When applied in the context of tourism, revisit intention refers to the willingness or the likelihood of a tourist revisiting the same destination, the same tourist site, the same hotel or the same restaurant in the future (Smith & Pusko, 2010). Therefore, it has been argued that attitudinal loyalty represents a higher-order or long-term commitment of a customer to an organization or destination which results in a long, fruitful relationship between the organization and the customers over time, based on customer satisfaction (Al-Msallam, 2015). The importance of tourist revisit intention is well documented in tourism research. Fridgen (2009) reports that international tourism agencies and national tourist organizations use tourist revisit intention in tourism forecast, which is crucial in predicting or determining tourist flow and spending, especially in measuring destination competitiveness. This clearly shows that tourist revisit intention is very significant in building tourism patronage, tourist flow and expenditure Empirical Review and Hypotheses Development Hospitality Service Delivery Capability and Marketing Performance Dodds and Holmes (2019) investigated the factors that satisfy beach tourists and drive them to return to the same destination. The study drew on 1,451 complete surveys conducted at rural and urban beaches across Ontario, Canada. Using hierarchical multivariate regression, a model for predicting overall beachgoer satisfaction, the finding indicated a positive effect of beach facilities such as good quality restaurant services on tourists’ satisfaction and revisit intention. Research conducted by Afiesimama (2018) examined hospitality service quality and competitiveness performance in the Nigerian hotel sector. The result revealed low satisfaction of guests with services of some 3-star hotel operators in Abuja, especially with house-keeping, ambience and attitude of service personnel. Consequently, hotels with better service quality standard were reported to have recorded higher customer satisfaction and guests’ patronage. Nze- Dike and Eferebo (2017) investigated service delivery and business performance in the food and beverage sector setting. Findings from the analysis of data collected from 180 restaurant managers indicated that providing hospitality services through service quality, service speed; a variety of menu, trained service contact personnel and supporting technologies were important drivers in ensuring customer satisfaction, sales revenue and profit. The findings, therefore reinforce the fact that effective hospitality service delivery is crucial to fast-food marketing performance. Research conducted by Mismack (2017) on hospitality service delivery and guest satisfaction, the purpose of which was to explore how the service offerings of hotels affected dining experience. The finding indicated that room service, the taste of food, ambient condition, food assortments and staff attitude positively influenced their satisfaction levels, patronage and loyalty. The study further revealed that location and prices were not significant considerations in patronage. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 86 www.americanjournal.org Adeoye and Babatunde (2015) carried out a study on hotel service delivery, and guest revisits intention in the hotel sector in Lagos, Nigeria. Drawing from sample of357 guests of 3- star hotels, the study revealed that contact personnel attitude, courtesy, service availability and house -keeping practices correlated positively with guest satisfaction, intention to revisit in the future as well as positive word –of-- month. Kariiki (2014) studied the link between service personnel behaviour and hotel performance in the Gracia Gardens Hotel setting within Nairobi, Kenya. The result of the finding of the study revealed that the way service personnel communicated to customers, courteous when welcoming guest and the time taken before serving the customer were primary determinants of hotel improvement in hotel sales. Arman (2014) explored the relationship between digital service capability and performance of travel agencies. The study revealed that the deployment of the Internet in designing services and their use either as navigation for travelers, or as a tool for creating exciting products for leisure and tourism (geo-caching) was found to correlate positively with tourist satisfaction, increase in patronage and revenue. Akanimoh (2010). conducted a study on customer retention in the fast-food industry. The research investigated the effect of dining attributes, customers’ satisfaction on customers’ retention in the fast-food industry. Results obtained from the analysis established a significant impact of service quality on the customers’ retention. An important study conducted by Hassan (2013) on customer service and performance established a positive effect of customer retention through customer service delivery capability on profitability performance of the hospitality industry. Cornell Hospitality Research (2012) report showed that guest satisfaction was influenced heavily by service factors such as employee attitude, pacing and order of services provided. It found that the greater the client satisfaction, the higher the revenues for a given hospitality business, and that service plays a far greater role than price and location in the guest-purchase decision. In the same vein, a study conducted by Kotler et al. (2010) in luxury hotels and large elaborate casinos found that the care, courtesy, warmth, friendship and other manifestations of the hospitality of contact personnel played a large role in guests revisits intention. As the review shows, most of the studies on hospitality service delivery and marketing performance have concentrated on the firm level. Although empirical evidence of these phenomena appears to be lacking at the destination level, it is, however, unclear whether the same result might also hold at the destination level, thus, justifying the need to test the following underlying propositions in the Nigerian destination context empirically. H1: Hotel accommodation service delivery around the tourist sites is correlated with tourist satisfaction. H2: Quick-service restaurant service delivery at tourist sites is correlated with tourist satisfaction. H3: Accommodation service delivery around the tourist sites is correlated with tourist revisit intention. H4: Quick-service restaurant delivery around the tourist sites is correlated with tourist revisit intention. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 87 www.americanjournal.org 3. Methodology Research Design and Participants The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study because it helped the researcher to find answers to the research questions of the study and to test the hypotheses. The population of this study included domestic and international visitors available at Ibeno beach, Nwaniba beach, Ibaka beach and Utaewa beaches during the Christmas (2019)and New year (January 1st Jan, 2020) holiday season in Akwa-Ibom State. Diesamm (2012) has noted that in the context of the tourism and hospitality industry, the population of research involving customers is always large, unpredictable, mobile and transient. It is often not fixed; for example, the likelihood of a researcher meeting the same beach visitor or air passenger again at the same place in the future is slim. Sampling/Sample Size Determination The purposive sampling method was adopted to select the sample based on the researcher’s judgment and on-the-spot accessibility, availability and willingness of the beach visitors to participate in the study during the researcher’s visits to the beaches. The sample size used in this study was determined by the application of Freund & Williams (1992) formula. Thus, three hundred and twenty-three (323) beach visitors constituted the sample size of the study. Our sample size is consistent with the extant suggestion of Roscue (1975 cited in Aliman et al., 2016) that a sample of more than 30 and less than 500 is sufficient for most research in the Social Sciences of which Tourism is a subset. Quota sampling was also adopted in the selection of the sample subjects because of variation in the level of beach development and the destination’s drawing power. This sampling method is evident in the number of visitors drawn from each of the four beaches surveyed in the study. As Udall & Eneyo (2015) rightly stated, “there is no best sampling method; the nature of the study should dictate the method to be used”. The implication is that both probability and non- probability sampling methods are acceptable in tourism/hospitality research. Research Instrument, Procedure and Measures Primary data were obtained from the respondents through the questionnaire, while secondary data were generated from relevant academic journals and textbooks in tourism marketing. The questionnaire was the primary data collection instrument for this study. A questionnaire is a set of specific questions that are constructed and used by the researcher in obtaining information from respondents in a survey research (Makinde 2015). The researcher and ten (10) research assistants administered copies of questionnaires on tourists/visitors visiting the four beaches for fun during the 2019 Christmas and 2020 New year holiday season in Akwa Ibom State. Visitors/tourists were briefed on the purpose of the study and the questionnaires retrieved after completion. The dependent and independent variables were measured onthe5-point Likert Scale, and the response scales for each statement in the survey questionnaire are 5-Strongly Agree, 4 –Agree Fairly Strongly, 3- Agree, 2-Disagree, 1-Strongly Disagree. The questionnaire items of the variables were modified from previous studies based on their relevance and appropriateness to the present study. Four (4) items on destination awareness strategies were modified from (Blain, et al., 2005). while tourist destination choice was treated as a one dimensional construct involving 3 items were adapted from (Gold & Whard, 2011) American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 88 www.americanjournal.org Validity, Reliability and Analytical Techniques Face validity for the research instrument used was ascertained through expert opinions and contributions. Also, it was assessed by tourism experts such as tourist managers, tour operators and marketing scholars based on their experience in the industry and academia respectively. Reliability was determined using (i) Cronbach Alpha co-efficient with a value of 0.712. The descriptive data were analyzed using frequency distributions, percentages, mean scores and other descriptive statistical measures, all in tables with the aid of the SPSS & Microsoft Excel. Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis was used for the hypotheses. This analytical tool is often used to examine the strength of the relationship between a dependent variable and a set of (more than two) independent variables (Onodugo, Ugwuonah & Ebinne,2010). 4. Analysis and Results Demographic Profile of Respondents Table 1 Demographic profile of respondents S/No Demographic variables Number Percentage 1 Category of Visitors Foreign 37 12 Domestic 271 88 Total 308 100 2 Type of Visitors Companies staff 36 12 Government Officials 10 3 Independent Visitors 262 85 Total 308 100 3 Length of stay 1 day 203 66 2 – 5 days 105 34 5 days and above - - Total 308 100 4 Age of Respondents 18 – 30 101 33 31 – 40 83 27 41 – 50 70 23 51 and above 54 17 Total 308 100 5 Marital status of Respondents Single 169 56 Married 101 33 Divorced 20 6 Separate 18 5 Total 308 100 6 Gender of Respondents Male 172 56 Female 136 44 American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 89 www.americanjournal.org Total 308 100 7 Educational Background of Respondents FSLC 31 10 WASC/GCE 62 20 OND BSC/HND MBA/MSC PhD Others 48 103 6 10 15 33 2 3 Total 308 100 8 State of Origin of Visitors Akwa-Ibom 227 74 Cross River state 51 17 Rivers South East Delta Foreign 18 7 6 2 Total 308 100 9 Nationality of Respondents Nigerians 294 96 ECOWAS 0thers 10 4 3 1 Total 308 100 10 Purpose of Visit Appreciation of nature / Leisure 198 64 Educational excursion 21 7 Group meeting 89 29 Total 308 100 11 Frequency of Visit First-time Visitor 139 45 Repeat Visitor 169 55 Total 308 100 12 Travel Party Alone 62 20 Family/Partner 91 30 Friends/Relatives Organized groups 108 47 35 15 Total 308 100 13 Monthly Income of Visitors N100,000 55 18 N101,000 to N200,0001 63 53 N200,000 90 29 Total 308 100 Section 1 of Table 1 above shows the information on the category of visitors. The table revealed that (37) respondents (12%) were foreign while (271) respondents (88%) were domestic. Thus, implying that domestic respondents were of the majority. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 90 www.americanjournal.org Section 2 of Table 1 above shows the information on the type of visitors. The table revealed that (36) respondents (12%) were companies staff, (10) respondents (3%) were Government officials, while (262) respondents (85%) were independent visitors. Thus, showing that independent visitors were of the majority. Section 3 of Table 1 above shows the information on the length of stay. The table revealed that (203) respondents (66%) stay for 1 day while (105) respondents (34%) stay for 2 – 5 days. This result points out that majority of the respondents stayed for 1 day. Section 4 of Table 1 above shows the information on age brackets of the respondents. 101 respondents (33%), were within 18-30 years, 83 respondents (27%) were within 31–40 years, 70 respondents (23%) were within 41–50 years while 54 respondents (17%) were greater than 51 years. This information shows that majority of the respondents were within the ages of 18 – 30 years. Section 5 of Table 1 shows the marital status of respondents. 169 respondents (56%) were single, 101 respondents (33%) were married, 20 respondents (6%) were divorced, while 18 respondents (5%) are separated. This information implies that majority of the respondents were single. Section 6 of Table 1 shows the gender of respondents. 172 respondents (56%) were male, while 136 respondents (44%) were female. This information implies that majority of the respondents were male. Section 7 of Table 1 shows the educational background of respondents. FSLC (31) (10%), WASC/GCE (62) (20%), OND (48) (15%), B.Sc/HND (103) (33%), M.Sc/MBA (54) (17%), Ph.D (6) (2%), Others (10) (3%). From the information it shows that respondents with B.SC/HND are of the majority. Section 8 of Table 1 shows the state of origin of visitors. 227 respondents (74%) were from Akwa- Ibom, 51 respondents (17%) were from Cross River state, 8 respondents (6%) were from Rivers, 7 respondents (2%) were from South East, while 5 respondents (1%) were from Delta. From this information, it shows that respondents from Akwa-Ibom were the majority. Section 9 of Table 2 shows the Nationality of respondents. 294 respondents (96%) were Nigerians, 10 respondents (3%) were from ECOWAS countries, while 4 respondents (1%) were Others. From the above information, it shows that respondents from Nigeria are of majority. Section 10 of Table 1 shows the purpose of the visit. 198 respondents (64%) came for Appreciation of nature/ leisure, 21 respondents (7%) came for Educational excursion, while 89 respondents (29%) came for Group meeting, thus, showing that respondents who came for Appreciation of nature/Leisure are of majority. Section 11 of Table 1 shows the frequency of visit. 139 respondents (45%) were first-time visitors, while 169 respondents (55%) were repeat-visitors. From this information, it shows that majority of the respondents were repeat visitors. Section 12 of Table 1 shows the travel party. 62 respondents (20%) travelled alone, 91 respondents (30%) travelled with family/partner, 108 respondents (35%) travelled with friends/ relatives, while 47 respondents (15%) travelled with organized groups. From this information, it shows that majority of the respondents traveled with friends/relatives. Section 13 of Table 1 shows the Monthly Income of Visitors. 55 respondents (18%) earn less than N100,000, 163 respondents (53%) earn N101,000 – N200,000, while 90 respondents (29%) earn above N200,000. Thus, majority of respondents earn N101,000 to N200,000 monthly American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 91 www.americanjournal.org Table 2 : Summary of Descriptive statistics on items of hospitality service delivery capability N Mean Std. Deviation Good hotel accommodation around the tourist sites. 308 1.9221 1.02752 Provision of quality restaurant services at the sites 308 1.9805 1.19156 Reception and welcoming of visitors by host communities 308 2.0747 1.21511 Courtesy and friendliness of service personnel 308 1.9805 1.17781 Fast and attentive service 308 1.9805 1.09170 Valid N (listwise) 308 Information on Table 2 above indicates the univariate statistical result of hospitality service delivery capability. All the mean scores on the items were less than 3.9 (criterion mean), indicating that respondents did not generally agree on all the items. The result suggests that the tourist sites lacked the capability to provide quality hospitality services for the tourists who visit the beaches in Akwa Ibom State. Table 3 Descriptive Statistics on Items of tourist satisfaction Descriptive Statistics N Mean Std. Deviation Wise decision to visit the beach 308 4.0909 .98102 Fulfillment of expectation 308 2.0487 1.16164 High satisfaction and memorable experience 308 1.8149 1.06537 Pleasurable sightseeing opportunities 308 4.1312 1.24939 Overall satisfaction 308 2.0390 1.19381 Valid N (listwise) 308 Information on Table 3 above indicates that the mean scores on two of the items were greater than 3.9 leaving three items with mean scores that are less than 3.9 (grand mean); indicating that the respondents did not generally agree on all the items. The implication is that respondents generally agreed on the fact that they made a wise decision to visit the beaches, which provided pleasurable sightseeing opportunities. On the other hand, the expectations were unfulfilled, while the overall satisfaction level was very low. Table 4 Descriptive Statistics on Items of Revisit Intention Items N Mean Std. Deviation Likelihood of return based on experience at the beach 308 4.0974 1.25571 Likelihood of return based on the beautiful coastline of the beach 308 4.1013 1.37037 Likelihood of revisit with family and friends 308 4.0429 1.35867 Valid N (listwise) 308 Information on Table 4 above indicates that all the mean scores on the items were greater than 3.9 (grand mean), indicating that the respondents agreed on all the items. The standard deviations were American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 92 www.americanjournal.org relatively low. This implies that the respondents generally agreed on prior experience and beauty of the beaches as likely reasons for a return visit. They also indicated willingness to repeat the visit with family and friends. Bivariate Analysis Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was conducted to determine the strength of the relationship between accessibility and tourists’ satisfaction and revisit intention. Table 5: Summary of PPMC Results Predictor Variables Criterion Variable Rho Value P- Value Level of Sig. Decision Hotel service capability Tourist satisfaction 0.818 .000 p=.001 < 0.05 Supported Restaurant service capability Tourist satisfaction 0.771 .002 p=.000 < 0.05 Supported Hotel service capability Revisit Intention 0.898 .060 p=.060 > 0.05 Not Supported Restaurant service capability Revisit Intention 0.714 .051 p=.051 > 0.05 Not Supported As Table 5 shows that hotel service delivery capacity correlated positively and significantly with tourist satisfaction. In the same vein, restaurant service capability correlated positively and significantly with tourist satisfaction. However, the relationship between hotel service delivery and revisit intention to the tourist sites was insignificant in the context of our study. Similarly, the correlation between restaurant service delivery at the sites and tourists revisit intention to the sites was also insignificant. 5. Discussion The study findings also showed that hospitality (hotel and restaurant) service delivery capability correlated positively and significantly with tourist satisfaction in the context tourist attraction sites in Akwa-Ibom State. This finding is consistent with previous empirical studies which established a strong, positive and significant correlation between hospitality service delivery and customers satisfaction in other tourism markets such as: Dudds and Holmes (2019); Afiesimama, (2018); Mismack, (2017); Mzengi (2017; Adeoye and Babatunde (2015), Kariiki (2014), Arman, (2014Nawaz, et al. (2013). What the results suggest in the context of our study is that the low overall tourist satisfaction at the sites is also traceable to deficiency in hospitality service delivery by hospitality businesses operating around the tourist sites. As gleaned from the mean scores (1.9221 – 2.0747) for the four items used in measuring hospitality service delivery capability, the results suggest that there is apparent lack of good quality hospitality services such as resorts, hotels and good quality restaurant around the beaches studied. The finding also implies that the available hospitality amenities located in the tourist sites’ environment were of poor quality and therefore, not able to render high quality services to tourists/visitors. The result also implies that a lot of work is required by the tourism promotion agencies and other stakeholders to provide good quality hospitality services at the tourist sites However, the positive but insignificant relationship between hospitality (hotel and restaurant) service delivery at the sites and tourist revisit intention can be explained by the fact that although hospitality services available at the sites are important, they are not strong enough to stop revisit American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 5, Oct., 2022 P a g e | 93 www.americanjournal.org intention. This is because some tourists and same day visitors may still revisit the beaches without taken up accommodation and feedings in hospitality facilities around the sites of perceived insecurity. Again, some visitors may make their hospitality service arrangements in Uyo and Eket that are close to the tourist sites. Furthermore, our empirical result suggests that effective and efficient hospitality service delivery at the destination will drive tourist satisfaction for repeat visit and revisit intention. This is because hospitality service is a part of the overall tourism product which is better described as a ‘composite product’ and therefore contributes its quota to the overall touristic experience of visitors. 6. Conclusion, Implications and Recommendations The result of our empirical analysis has shown that destination hospitality service delivery capability is an important factor in predicting tourist satisfaction and intention to revisit the tourist sites in the future. Accordingly, the study concludes that although the tourists/visitors were not impressed with the destination hospitality service delivery by hospitality firms operating around the tourist sites in Akwa- Ibom state, the overall low tourist satisfaction did not affect revisit intention. Therefore, the study concluded that effective and efficient hotel and restaurant service delivery correlated positively with tourist satisfaction, but the relationship with revisit intention to the tourist sites was insignificant in own context. Perhaps, not all beach visitors want to stay overnight in hotels or eat in restaurants located around the beaches for security risks. Accordingly, our research holds certain implications for tourism service providers, Akwa-Ibom State Ministry of culture and tourism and tourism promotion agencies as it provides a better understanding of tourists’ behavioural intention towards the development of tourists attraction sites’ marketing strategies towards the achievement of destination marketing objectives in tourist attractions development. Furthermore, the empirical evidence of this study offers actionable information to all tourism destination stakeholders based on the fact that the tourism product is an amalgam of several individual products which contribute to the total memorable tourism experience. 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