HOTEL GUESTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS TOURISM TRAINING IN MIDDLE LEVEL COLLEGES IN KENYA
Date
2023-01-12
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to highlight tourism sector’s human resource training and
development which depends on middle level colleges (MLCs) in Kenya’s tourism sector.
With the growing tourism industry in Kenya, however, there has been no study to assess
the demonstration of MLC trainees in tourism hotels under the universal changing
tourism environment in Kenya. Hence, the study, specifically, attempted to determine the
relationship between variables accessible in the hotel (amenities, customer care,
cognition; and, effectiveness and efficiency) and satisfaction levels of services offered to
hotel guests by tourism trainees in the hotel industry. The study adopted description
research designs primarily targeting hotel guests in hotels. A total of 116 questionnaires
were administered randomly to hotel guests from 21 randomly selected hotels in Nairobi
for the study. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews and were analyzed
using descriptive and inferential statistics including; means, percentages, frequencies,
ANOVA and chi-square tests. Findings revealed that most hotel guests were satisfied by
‘front office staff services’, since it was the only ‘service’ related to each of the four
accessible variables in hotels and which implied that hotel guests were influenced with
the employees’ warm welcome, friendly nature and better knowledge in solving some of
their personal problems. Further, the information center in the ‘front office’ gave hotel
guests full information about the hotels like the availability of brochures. The study
recommends that the government coordinates all MLCs tourism training programmes to
ensure quality graduates for tourism promotion and development. Finally, further study is
to be undertaken to determine security on female hotel guests (amenities) in hotels
relating to individual differences among hotel guests.
Description
Tourism is a key pillar of Kenya’s national economy, contributing more than ten per cent
of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, and providing a source of livelihood to millions
of Kenyans (GoK, 2015). According to the World Bank lack of quality hotels in a
country hurts tourism development (World Bank, 2012). Although success has been
recorded in the tourism sector in Kenya, sustaining this success requires, safeguarding of
existing tourism resources and quality human resource training in MLCs (KNBS, 2013).
Travel and tourism in 2011 globally employed about 8.7 percent of total employment,
generating 9.1 percent of total gross domestic product and visitor exports generated
US$1,170.6 billion (5.3 percent of total exports). In developing countries, tourism
stimulate various investments and generates revenue to the government (WTTC, 2012).
In Kenya, travel and tourism contributed 13.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) and 11.9 percent of the total employment (WTTC, 2012). Additionally, through its
multiplier effect, tourism has led to growth of industries such as hospitality, transport,
accommodation, entertainment, travel agencies and related services, health and training,
among others, that are directly associated with it. Due to competition, hotel guests in
Kenya are not getting quality satisfaction from products being offered and as such, hotel
guests are switching to other countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Tanzania
and Uganda which offer similar tourist attractions (World Bank, 2010).
Tourism is a vibrant sector confronted with varied issues like insecurity, professionalism,
globalization, technical development and ecological changes (UNWTO, 2000).
Consequently, there is need for the advancement of training and the enrichment of
qualifications (Anne-Mette & Steen, 2001). Attitudes are formed through one’s
socialization process which forms values and believes during early age of children hood
and later shaped by family, religion among others. Such socialization process affects
individual attitudes towards services offered by tourist hotels
Keywords
Middle level colleges, hotel guests, tourist hotels, tourist training programmes.