Cultural values and service quality: Host and guest perspectives

This article explores the respective cultural values of American tourists and Vietnamese service providers in the context of Vietnam as a destination. The Principal Components Analysis method is used to identify and group the distinctive cultural values of tourists and hosts with a view to providing an enhanced understanding of tourist-host perceptions of service quality in cross-cultural settings. The research has both practical and academic significance. Drawing upon the marketing, tourism, and cultural studies literature and examining cultural values in tourism settings, the article proposes some strategic directions for tourism managers and marketers in Vietnam. From a theoretical perspective, the study provides an enhanced understanding of Rokeach's model. This instrument has previously been applied in the fields of sociology, psychology, and marketing. In the present case it is used to measure cross-cultural perceptions and the associated insights should be useful for tourism researchers, developers, marketers, and managers. It provides an evidence base that can guide provision to meet the needs of Asian and Western tourists with particular reference to perceptions in cross-cultural contexts. The research applies an empirically based model to development related challenges confronting the tourism sector. It applies the theories of human values to tourism and demonstrates the important influence of cultural backgrounds on tourist perceptions.