Public Service Quality at a Malay Heritage Island Destination: An Exploratory SERVQUAL Analysis of Penyengat Island, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69812/itj.v3i1.269Keywords:
Public Service Quality, SERVQUAL, Heritage Tourism, GovernanceAbstract
This study examines service quality on Penyengat Island, a historic Malay cultural tourism destination in Tanjungpinang, Indonesia. It reanalyses an existing descriptive qualitative case account using the five SERVQUAL dimensions, while distinguishing between reported service conditions, interpretations offered by the original authors, and management actions proposed here. The available research record identifies interviews with a traditional-costume service attendant and a representative of the municipal Tourism Office, supported by reported observation and documentation. The evidence indicates that established cultural tourism assets coexist with persistent service limitations involving sanitation, facility maintenance, access to visitor information, staffing during peak periods, and accommodation of older and first-time visitors. Although the source portrays courtesy, visitor safety, and historical explanations positively, its evidentiary scope does not justify quantitative service rankings or population-level conclusions about tourist satisfaction. Three qualitative evidence tables and three analytical diagrams organize these findings, identify plausible operational mechanisms, and outline an agenda for independent examination. The analysis emphasizes the importance of integrated facility inventories, consistent historical interpretation, inclusive service design, explicit distribution of responsibilities among relevant actors, and routine structured mechanisms for collecting visitor feedback. Its principal contribution is to connect destination-level service-quality dimensions with accountable public and community governance while transparently acknowledging the limitations of existing evidence. Further research should incorporate documented visitor interviews, systematic facility audits, and comparative observations across tourism seasons to examine whether proposed improvements produce measurable service outcomes.
Downloads
References
Ansell, C., & Gash, A. (2008). Collaborative governance in theory and practice. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4), 543–571. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mum032
Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299205600205
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (2011). Critical research on the governance of tourism and sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(4–5), 411–421. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2011.580586
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Cronin, J. J., Jr., & Taylor, S. A. (1992). Measuring service quality: A reexamination and extension. Journal of Marketing, 56(3), 55–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299205600304
Dimitrovski, D., Lemmetyinen, A., Nieminen, L., & Pohjola, T. (2021). Understanding coastal and marine tourism sustainability—A multi-stakeholder analysis. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 19, 100554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100554
Dredge, D., & Jamal, T. (2015). Progress in tourism planning and policy: A post-structural perspective on knowledge production. Tourism Management, 51, 285–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.06.002
Fatmo, S., Samin, R., Akhyary, E., Septiawan, A., & Subiyakto, R. (2025). Implementation dynamics of mangrove ecotourism governance in Tanjungpinang coastal area: A Grindle-based analysis. Indonesian Tourism Journal, 2(1), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.69812/itj.v2i1.98
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
Grönroos, C. (1984). A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000004784
International Council on Monuments and Sites. (2008). The ICOMOS charter for the interpretation and presentation of cultural heritage sites. ICOMOS.
International Organization for Standardization. (2021). Tourism and related services—Accessible tourism for all—Requirements and recommendations (ISO Standard No. 21902:2021). https://www.iso.org/standard/72126.html
Jamal, T. B., & Getz, D. (1995). Collaboration theory and community tourism planning. Annals of Tourism Research, 22(1), 186–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(94)00067-3
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Moscardo, G. (1996). Mindful visitors: Heritage and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(2), 376–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(95)00068-2
Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378001700405
Ostrom, E. (1990). Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge University Press.
Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., & Zeithaml, V. A. (1991). Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL scale. Journal of Retailing, 67(4), 420–450.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298504900403
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994). Alternative scales for measuring service quality: A comparative assessment based on psychometric and diagnostic criteria. Journal of Retailing, 70(3), 201–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-4359(94)90033-7
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Poria, Y., Butler, R., & Airey, D. (2003). The core of heritage tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(1), 238–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(02)00064-6
Poria, Y., Reichel, A., & Biran, A. (2006a). Heritage site management: Motivations and expectations. Annals of Tourism Research, 33(1), 162–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2005.08.001
Poria, Y., Reichel, A., & Biran, A. (2006b). Heritage site perceptions and motivations to visit. Journal of Travel Research, 44(3), 318–326. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287505279004
Republic of Indonesia. (2009a). Law Number 10 of 2009 concerning tourism.
Republic of Indonesia. (2009b). Law Number 25 of 2009 concerning public services.
Republic of Indonesia. (2010). Law Number 11 of 2010 concerning cultural heritage.
Richards, G. (2018). Cultural tourism: A review of recent research and trends. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 36, 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.03.005
Ritchie, J. R. B., & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The competitive destination: A sustainable tourism perspective. CABI Publishing.
Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Scheyvens, R. (1999). Ecotourism and the empowerment of local communities. Tourism Management, 20(2), 245–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(98)00069-7
Srinita, G. G., Febrianty, W. J., & Putri, R. A. (2025). Evaluation of public service performance of the government at the Lingga Regency Tourism Office. Indonesian Tourism Journal, 2(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.69812/itj.v2i1.81
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. SAGE Publications.
Suhaila, R., & Baijuri, R. H. T. (2024). Implementation of religious and cultural tourism development policies in Penyengat Island. Indonesian Tourism Journal, 1(2), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.69812/itj.v1i2.28
Timothy, D. J., & Boyd, S. W. (2003). Heritage tourism. Pearson Education.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2003). Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Centre. (2016). World Heritage sustainable tourism toolkit. https://whc.unesco.org/en/sustainabletourismtoolkit/
World Tourism Organization. (2004). Indicators of sustainable development for tourism destinations: A guidebook. UNWTO.
World Tourism Organization, & United Nations Environment Programme. (2005). Making tourism more sustainable: A guide for policy makers. UNWTO.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Finnan Akbar, Akbar Fauzi, Suci Rhamadani, Suci Rahayu, Syarifa Putri Azzahra, Rahayu Permatasari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
