An investigation into the consumer behavior of international students in low cost hotel in UK

An investigation into the consumer behavior of international students in low cost hotel in UKExecutive summary
ThisTable of Contents
Executive summary 2
Table of Contents 1
Introduction 1
Research contexts/backgrounds 1
Research question 1
Rationales of the research 1
Research hypotheses and objectives 1
Dissertation structure 1
Literature review 1
Overview 2
Theoretical framework with key concepts 2
Research gap 2
Methodology 2
Overview 2
This chapter introduces how the research would be done, including research design, strategy for primary data collection, data analysis and research ethical considerations. The limitations of this dissertation research are also identified in the end. 2
Methodology illustrates the basic uses of questionnaires and personal interview. The methodology process will take into consideration of the SERVQUAL model while also consider the specific characteristics of the tourism industry under the contemporary business environment. A questionnaire will be devised and attached also in the end of the dissertation as an appendix. 2
Primary data is critical for getting to know the specific results of a certain claim discovered in secondary resource research. The understanding of the related theories and concepts also calls for the collection and use of primary data. What’s more, the conclusions and findings that we already have are also to be backed by the utility of primary statistics and measure the distance between the theory and the application of it. This is why, in this dissertation, primary resource collection has been one of the tasks that take up considerable amount of the time and resources of the research process. 2
Questionnaire can be a good way to collect first hand data for the analysis of research result. Therefore a questionnaire is designed to be handed out for people to fill in order to get enough primary data. There are several things to be considered in designing a questionnaire. First, questionnaires should be clear and right to the heart of the problem that is supposed to be addressed by it. Second, the designing of the questionnaire should be clear and logical in structuring the various questions that have to be answered. In addition, questionnaires must make sure that data will be enough to come to an informed analysis of the given topic. The deploying of the questionnaires should also be carefully designed. First, they are supposed to be deployed at places that are highly representative and related to the issue. Second, it should be made sure that these questionnaires are distributed to people in a random manner. This means that the targets of the questionnaire should be different kinds of individuals who have different characteristics in life. 3
The practitioners of the low cost hotel in UK should be investigated. Data has to be collected about their behaviour within the low cost hotel. The analysis of the primary data collected from the practitioners of low cost hotel should be from three aspects. First, what kind of service within the model they have provided. In addition, we need to consider what kind of service within the low cost hotel that they think is significant and required to better improve the service that they have already provided. In the end, a comparison should be made as to how they are satisfied with the degree to which they met those standards should also be considered within the data analysis. 3
Similar primary data has to be collected from the international students. This is the focal point of the research. 3
Research design 4
Strategy for primary data collection 4
Data will be collected via questionnaire survey. Questionnaire survey is fitting for approaching a large number of research participants in an effective and efficient manner(Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2009). 4
Each question of the above questionnaire should be answered with a yes or no. some of them, however, are supposed to be answered with a short and concise further explanation. Foreign students of the universities of the UK are chosen as targets questionnaires. Questionnaires should be evenly distributed to both parties with the objectiveness of the result being considered. 4
300 questionnaires are deployed altogether. These questionnaires are distributed in online chatting room that is currently popular in the UK among university students. Email is also adopted as another method to access to targets. In general, students are all friendly and glad to help. The questionnaire survey is relatively easy because access to them is far more convenient and can be achieved within the campus. 4
As with personal interviews, people are randomly selected to be interviewed concerning their views on the matter. In particular, 10 interviewees will be selected to answer questions. Most of these questions are mentioned in the questionnaire above. However, the result and data of interview are supposed to be much more accurate and believable since people would ponder before offering their answers for the questions asked. For a questionnaire, the information collected in this process maybe untrue since people would potentially consider that it is a waste of their time and just cope with it instead of thinking for a while for the right answer. 4
10 students are interviewed with the questions given above. Answers to all questions are recorded and is later transferred into writing form. 4
Data analysis 5
Ethical considerations 5
Limitations of the research 5
Findings 5
Overview 5
Customer behavior of international students in tourism 5
Service quality perceived by international students 5
Discussions 5
Overview 5
Customer behavior of international students in tourism 5
Factors influencing tourism service quality 5
Conclusions and Recommendations 5
Reference 7
Introduction
International students are a major source of tourists for education destination countries.
Research contexts/backgrounds
Research question
The research question is formulated as:
What are the customer behavior characteristics of international students in tourism? —- Focus on economic hotel
Rationales of the research
The two rationales for doing this research are to understand customer behavior characteristics of international students in tourism, and to enhance the service quality of tourism in the UK for internationals students.
Does service quality matter in low cost hotel?
Research hypotheses and objectives
Does service quality matter in low cost hotel?
Dissertation structure
This section introduces the basic structure of the dissertation.

Literature review
The literature review forms a theoretical framework for doing this dissertation research.
Overview
The literature review focuses on key concepts such as tourism service quality, with introducing the SERVQUAL service quality model.
Theoretical framework with key concepts
SERVQUAL model has been widely applied in measuring service quality in hospitality and tourism industries(Babakus and Boller, 1992). SERVQUAL model is developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988).
Research gap
Research
Methodology
Overview
This chapter introduces how the research would be done, including research design, strategy for primary data collection, data analysis and research ethical considerations. The limitations of this dissertation research are also identified in the end.
Methodology illustrates the basic uses of questionnaires and personal interview. The methodology process will take into consideration of the SERVQUAL model while also consider the specific characteristics of the tourism industry under the contemporary business environment. A questionnaire will be devised and attached also in the end of the dissertation as an appendix.
Primary data is critical for getting to know the specific results of a certain claim discovered in secondary resource research. The understanding of the related theories and concepts also calls for the collection and use of primary data. What’s more, the conclusions and findings that we already have are also to be backed by the utility of primary statistics and measure the distance between the theory and the application of it. This is why, in this dissertation, primary resource collection has been one of the tasks that take up considerable amount of the time and resources of the research process.?
Questionnaire can be a good way to collect first hand data for the analysis of research result. Therefore a questionnaire is designed to be handed out for people to fill in order to get enough primary data. There are several things to be considered in designing a questionnaire. First, questionnaires should be clear and right to the heart of the problem that is supposed to be addressed by it. Second, the designing of the questionnaire should be clear and logical in structuring the various questions that have to be answered. In addition, questionnaires must make sure that data will be enough to come to an informed analysis of the given topic. The deploying of the questionnaires should also be carefully designed. First, they are supposed to be deployed at places that are highly representative and related to the issue. Second, it should be made sure that these questionnaires are distributed to people in a random manner. This means that the targets of the questionnaire should be different kinds of individuals who have different characteristics in life.?
The practitioners of the low cost hotel in UK should be investigated. Data has to be collected about their behaviour within the low cost hotel. The analysis of the primary data collected from the practitioners of low cost hotel should be from three aspects. First, what kind of service within the model they have provided. In addition, we need to consider what kind of service within the low cost hotel that they think is significant and required to better improve the service that they have already provided. In the end, a comparison should be made as to how they are satisfied with the degree to which they met those standards should also be considered within the data analysis.
Similar primary data has to be collected from the international students. This is the focal point of the research. ?
Research design
Strategy for primary data collection
Data will be collected via questionnaire survey. Questionnaire survey is fitting for approaching a large number of research participants in an effective and efficient manner(Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2009).
Each question of the above questionnaire should be answered with a yes or no. some of them, however, are supposed to be answered with a short and concise further explanation. Foreign students of the universities of the UK are chosen as targets questionnaires. Questionnaires should be evenly distributed to both parties with the objectiveness of the result being considered.
300 questionnaires are deployed altogether. These questionnaires are distributed in online chatting room that is currently popular in the UK among university students. Email is also adopted as another method to access to targets. In general, students are all friendly and glad to help. The questionnaire survey is relatively easy because access to them is far more convenient and can be achieved within the campus.
As with personal interviews, people are randomly selected to be interviewed concerning their views on the matter. In particular, 10 interviewees will be selected to answer questions. Most of these questions are mentioned in the questionnaire above. However, the result and data of interview are supposed to be much more accurate and believable since people would ponder before offering their answers for the questions asked. For a questionnaire, the information collected in this process maybe untrue since people would potentially consider that it is a waste of their time and just cope with it instead of thinking for a while for the right answer.
10 students are interviewed with the questions given above. Answers to all questions are recorded and is later transferred into writing form.
Data analysis
Data will be analyzed in a quantitative manner.
Ethical considerations
The dissertation should be carried out in an ethical manner.
Limitations of the research

Findings
Overview
Customer behavior of international students in tourism
Service quality perceived by international students
Discussions
Overview
Customer behavior of international students in tourism
Factors influencing tourism service quality

Conclusions and Recommendations