Quality of tourism services at Pohorje Sports Centre Ltd

Tourism, and with it the hotel industry, has become one of the world's largest industries. Hospitality is a service activity, but the quality of a service is more difficult to determine than the quality of a product. Today, guests do not only purchase products, but primarily services, which is why the view is increasingly prevailing that a service user can only be satisfied with a service if all participants in the process of service creation are satisfied. The diploma thesis is a component of theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during studies and the practical experience of the diploma thesis author whilst working in tourism.

Problem

Tourism, and with it the hotel industry, has become one of the world's largest industries. Hospitality is a service activity, but the quality of a service is more difficult to determine than the quality of a product.

Solution and method

Today, guests do not only purchase products, but primarily services, which is why the view is increasingly prevailing that a service user can only be satisfied with a service if all participants in the process of service creation are satisfied. Her diploma thesis is based on research into the satisfaction of guests at Hotel Arena. At Hotel Arena, we strive for quality service delivery and guest satisfaction is our top priority, as we are aware that a satisfied guest is a prerequisite for good business performance.

Guests differ from one another, so we must observe them in a way that will bring satisfaction to the guest and to us, the employees. Each guest has their own needs, wishes and expectations, but they all want the same thing – quality service. Wishes and expectations are actions that enable a person to be happy and satisfied when they fulfil their needs.

Results

Based on the desire for greater quality of the provider's services to the satisfaction of the guest, the diploma thesis addressed the theory of quality assurance in tourism, types of quality standards, presented tourism on Pohorje and at Pohorje Sports Centre (ŠCP), researched and analysed guest satisfaction with the offer at ŠCP itself, demonstrated the impact of quality on marketing, and on the basis of research and analysis of guest satisfaction, indicated proposals for improving relations between the provider and the guest, as well as proposals for formulating rules of corporate culture at ŠCP as a basis for further quality improvement.

The diploma thesis is a component of theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during studies and the practical experience of the diploma thesis author whilst working in tourism. A research and analytical approach was used in the field of determining guest satisfaction, from which proposals were formulated for continuous improvement of the quality of tourism offer and services at a specific tourism provider. With the diploma thesis – based on the desire and need for greater quality of the provider's services to the satisfaction of the guest – the theory of quality assurance in tourism was addressed, types of quality standards, tourism on Pohorje and at Pohorje Sports Centre (ŠCP) was presented, guest satisfaction on a selected sample of respondents and the quality of services at ŠCP itself were researched and analysed, the impact of quality on marketing was demonstrated, and on the basis of research and analysis of guest satisfaction, several proposals for improvements within the company and amongst staff were formulated, as well as the foundations for formulating rules of corporate culture at Pohorje Sports Centre as a basis for further quality improvement.

With this, the diploma thesis author attempted to demonstrate the practical value of knowledge acquired during education at Academia Institute of Technology, Maribor.