Service Quality and Tourist Satisfaction in Cultural Tourism Destinations

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of service quality dimensions on tourist satisfaction in cultural tourism destinations in West Sumatra. Specifically, it investigates how tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy contribute to tourists’ overall satisfaction within culturally rich destinations where service encounters play a critical role in shaping visitor experiences. The research adopts a quantitative explanatory design using a survey approach. Data were collected from tourists visiting major cultural tourism destinations in West Sumatra through structured questionnaires. A total of 250 valid responses were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling to assess the relationships between service quality dimensions and tourist satisfaction. The measurement and structural models were evaluated to ensure reliability, validity, and predictive accuracy. The results indicate that all service quality dimensions have a positive and significant influence on tourist satisfaction. Assurance and reliability emerge as the strongest predictors, suggesting that tourists place high importance on service professionalism, trustworthiness, and consistency. Tangibility, responsiveness, and empathy also significantly enhance satisfaction, reflecting the importance of both physical attributes and interpersonal service interactions in cultural tourism contexts This study contributes to tourism and service quality literature by empirically validating the SERVQUAL framework in a cultural tourism setting within a developing region. It also provides practical insights for destination managers to prioritize service improvement strategies that enhance visitor satisfaction and destination competitiveness.