Service quality of DoT-accredited travel agencies in Lucena City, Philippines
Rommena D. Glory, Grace T. Estrope, Shenna Rose L. Fontelara & Sarah Camilla S. Gonzales
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to assess the service quality of DOT-accredited travel agencies in Lucena City and to identify areas that required improvement to enhance customer satisfaction, thereby increasing their competitiveness and success. The study was anchored in the SERVQUAL theory proposed by Parasuraman et al. (1988), which expanded the understanding of service quality by categorizing it into five essential dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, forming the SERVQUAL model. The respondents of the study consisted of one hundred twenty-five (125) individuals, specifically customers who had availed themselves of the services of DOT-accredited travel agencies in Lucena City. The study employed probability-stratified sampling. The results revealed that DOT-accredited travel agencies in Lucena City performed exceptionally well in terms of service quality, exceeding customer expectations across all five SERVQUAL dimensions. Furthermore, the application of the SERVQUAL model indicated a highly positive customer experience, with high satisfaction levels reported in all dimensions.
Keywords
service quality, customer satisfaction, Department of Tourism, travel agency
Author information & Contribution
Rommena D. Glory. Corresponding author. Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management, CSTC College of Sciences, Technology and Communications, Inc. Email: rommenadglory@gmail.com
Grace T. Estrope. Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management, CSTC College of Sciences, Technology and Communications, Inc.
Shenna Rose L. Fontelara. Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management, CSTC College of Sciences, Technology and Communications, Inc.
Sarah Camilla S. Gonzales. Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management, CSTC College of Sciences, Technology and Communications, Inc.
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by CSTC College of Sciences, Technology and Communications, Inc. The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearance(s) by the CSTC College of Sciences, Technology and Communications, Inc.
Data and Materials Availability
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
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Cite this article:
Glory, R.D., Estrope, G.T., Fontelara, S.R.L. & Gonzales, S.C.S. (2025). Service quality of DoT-accredited travel agencies in Lucena City, Philippines. Journal of Hospitality, Tourism & Cultural Research, 1(2), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.53378/jhtcr.353218
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