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How the sanitation dimensions impacts consumer perceptions and emotions in five-star hotels due to COVID-19 pandemic?

Vikas Gupta (Amity School of Hospitality, Amity University, Noida, India)
Hiran Roy (International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Fairleigh Dickinson University – Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada)
Meghna Chhabra (Faculty of Management Studies, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad, India)
Sandra M. Sanchez‐Canizares (Faculty of Law and Business Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain)
Garima Sahu (Amity Business School, Amity University, Noida, India)

International Journal of Tourism Cities

ISSN: 2056-5607

Article publication date: 26 January 2022

Issue publication date: 9 December 2022

526

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the consumer perceptions related to sanitation in the five-star hotels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also identified the most significant sanitation dimensions and their influence on the pertinent emotions experienced by the hotel consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

It identified seven sanitation dimensions (i.e. exterior of the hotel, guestrooms, washrooms/restrooms, in-house restaurant dining, hotel employees, public areas and handling of food) which were assessed through 10 positive and negative consumer sanitation emotions. A structured online survey was conducted to collect data from the 763 five-star hotel consumers. Exploratory factor analysis was applied on the 35 parameters of the seven identified sanitation dimensions, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the most significant dimensions among the hotel consumers.

Findings

Results revealed that among the seven sanitation dimensions, “exterior of the hotel” and “public area” dimensions were found to be statistically less significant compared to the other sanitation dimensions. Findings related to consumer emotions showed that a significantly high percentage of consumers revealed strong negative emotions, i.e. disgust and discontent toward the poor standards of sanitation in the hotels.

Practical implications

The study results may be helpful for the hotel administrators and managers to adequately plan the training sessions for their employees based on the consumer perception and emotions toward the identified sanitation dimensions. Further, it may also help in the implementation of the COVID-19 awareness program based on the consumer inputs and perceptions.

Originality/value

Although a few studies have been performed to explore the sanitation dimensions in the hospitality sector before, but this will be a first attempt to identify and measure the sanitation dimensions and corresponding consumer emotions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to all the respondents for filling the online survey questionnaire and especially thankful to Dr Javier Cabeza‐Ramírez from University of Cordoba, Spain for all the help in providing the data resources for this study.

Citation

Gupta, V., Roy, H., Chhabra, M., Sanchez‐Canizares, S.M. and Sahu, G. (2022), "How the sanitation dimensions impacts consumer perceptions and emotions in five-star hotels due to COVID-19 pandemic?", International Journal of Tourism Cities, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 912-930. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-09-2021-0194

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, International Tourism Studies Association

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