Abstract
Hotels and restaurant industries have gained traction in the modern economies, and this growth has been attributed to several factors including higher income disposal among the population, professional engagements, social hue and corporate affairs. In addition, tourists, whether domestic or foreign have boosted the positive prospects of the hotel and the restaurant industries. Trade has been enhanced due to growth and sustainability in the country. Alongside facilities, the hotel and restaurant industries have complemented the growth of Hong Kong as the world’s destination in terms of pleasure and trade. Besides, the local support for the industry has been a baseline to the growth and sustainability of the hotel and restaurant industries in Hong Kong. On the other hand, customer attitude plays a fundamental role in determining the success and performance of hotels and restaurants. This is a research proposal that seeks to highlight key points that shall form the epicenter of a dissertation.
Introduction
Hotel and Restaurants are two service sectors that continue to boom in the wake of globalization and commerce. It is estimated that the hotel and tourism industry generates over $704 billion annually, and employing up to 48 million people (Balasundram, &, Mehta, 2002). As reiterated before, social and professional engagement among people have led to the growth of hotels and restaurants as people find it easier to eat in these hotels than to spend several hours preparing their meals. With regards to Hong Kong, the hotel and restaurant industry has been a boom, with many visitors from both local and foreign destinations preferring Hong Kong as their destination. Indeed, Hong Kong is one of world’s silicon savannahs, having modern state of art facilities, bagging greater prospects in terms of commerce and technology.
The main question relates to how the progress in the hotel and restaurant industry in Hong Kong has been manifested. Indeed, there could be no growth without the support steered by the industrial players in the market. One such prospect that has determined the consumer’s preference for the hotel and restaurant in this country refers to the mode of public relations that the industry offers. Public relations refer to the nature of interaction between the service provider and the market or a potential market. This is what shall benchmark discussion for this essay. Therefore, the thesis of this essay is to enumerate a proposal regarding the public relations offered by the hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong, and how these incentives influence the decision of customers to select these hotels.
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The main of this study, also referred as the research problem is to reiterate different public relations techniques and how they influence the decision of customers in selecting hotels and restaurants.
This research is centered on some given sets of objectives whose fulfillments will lead to unearthing the thesis of the dissertation, and further meeting the requirements of the essay. The objectives are the list of activities that the entire research is anchored and seeks to fulfill.
This research seeks to identify key public relations techniques that are adopted by Hong Kong Hotels and Restaurants
Seeks to define and enumerate the extent of adoption of public relations by the Hong Kong hotels and restaurants
Seeks to discuss the impacts of applying various public relations techniques to influencing customers’ decisions in selecting hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong
Discuss key public relations practices that are manifested by the Hotels and Restaurants in Hong Kong
Seeks to discuss the financial implications to hotels and restaurants based on the mode(s) of public relations that are adopted within their portfolios
The objectives above shall be centered in realizing the core precepts of the essay, which is anchored on finding the impacts and implications of applying different public relations techniques in influencing the decision of customers in selecting hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong. Other than these objectives, the research proposal will adopt a rough of research questions. Research questions intended to provide answers to questions postulated, and give credibility to the objectives of the research. Below are some research questions that will feature in this research;
What public relations techniques are key to influencing customers’ behaviors?
Do hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong apply public relations techniques?
Are there financial and performance-based implications attributed to the application of these public relations techniques in the hotels and the restaurant industries in Hong Kong?
Literature Review
There are several scholarly attributes that define public relations techniques, and how they influence the customers’ decision to booking hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong, and in the general hotel industry. According to Balasundram et al, (2002), hotels and restaurants are classified based on four main parameters; these elements include, price element, the location of the hotel, the theme or its ambiance, the level of services offered by the hotels, and the style and cuisine inherent to the hotels. The design of the hotel and restaurant depends on its target market. Thus, paranomic hotels and restaurants, having exclusive lounges, and giving the dining room experience target the high end markets, while simple hotels cater for the interests of the mass. In fact, the performance or robustness of a hotel is not determined by its size, but its intensity and appeal to the general public. This is where the concept of public relations plays a significant role in influencing the attitudes of consumers o either identify or discredit an identity with a given hotel and restaurant. However, the standard design and service level remains a derogative responsibility of the hotels and restaurants to the public.
Considering different elements and classes of hotels and restaurants, it is ideal consider key public relations factors that trigger the customers’ attitude in selecting a hotel or restaurant. Right from formal and sophisticated hotels and restaurants, to the informal fast-food hotels and restaurants, the public relations remains a major factor to the performance of a hotel over another. Balasundram et al (2002), state that the selection of hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong is variable across age strata, the nature or types of restaurants, and the predisposed income levels of the consumers. Age plays a critical factor to ambience, and as such the youthful population would be attracted by the ambiance of a restaurant. Besides, ambience is critical public relations technique that triggers the attitude of customers to selecting a hotel in Hong Kong, and it mostly applies with the youthful population. The youthful population is influenced to incline to ambience provided by a restaurant since it entails the atmosphere that favors them in the context of social interaction. The middle income level population is often attracted to the choice of a hotel due to its comfort and affordability.
Other than ambiance, other public relations factors that determine the consumer’s attitude in selecting a given hotel and restaurants refers to the quality of food offered, and the type of servings offered by the hotel. According to Grigoroudis, et al, (2010), customer attitude to select a given restaurant or hotel is heavily influenced by the quality of food offered. Thus, quality of food and servings by the hotels play a significant role in influencing the consumers’ decision to accept or reject a hotel. In addition, a perception of quality food offered by a given hotel will spearhead and spur positive influence to the hotel from the public. In Hong Kong, the hotels and restaurants emphasize in offering quality food, with the local cuisines in order to remain relevant in the market. The most performing restaurants in the market put emphasis on food quality, and they become distinguishable from others. This is a main public relations that intensifies the bond between the hotel and the general public in Hong Kong, and other global regions. In addition, quality food will positively influence attitude towards the hotel.
The nature of services offered by hotels and restaurant is another public relations issue that influences the attitudes of customers towards the hotel. Services offered goes in hand with the booking, food preparation, and delivery processes to service operations systems often geared towards the customers (Reid, & Bojanic, 2010). In fact, most consumers delve in purchasing services, which is a measure of experience deployed by the service operations in delivering the value to its customers. In addition, service provision is a critical competitive advantage in which the hotels and restaurants incline to in order to realize the attraction and positive attitude of the customers.
Other public relations elements that shall form part of the discussion in the dissertation include price elements. Price is a critical end product to the consumer attitude towards accepting or rejecting a restaurant or hotel. In this research, the adoption of 4P’s; product, price, place, and promotion greatly contribute to the performance of a hotel. In Kumar, et al (2015), reiterate that price is a major marketing tool that promotes the consumer attraction to a given hotel. While price is a major construct to influencing consumers’’ attitude, the quality of food offered should be steadfast as a complement to reduced price.
Study Design and Methods
The research design refers to the methodological constructs in which a research is construed. The determination of research design takes place in three major accords; the core function, methodology and the information requirement (McBurney, & White, 2010). The core function of this research complements to a pure research, and it seeks to invoke an understanding regarding the impacts of public relations towards influencing customers’ attitude to the Hong Kong hotels and restaurants. In addition, this research is embedded on the information requirement of a combination of descriptive, exploratory research. For example, the exploratory research will be to investigate the hue and nature of experience predisposed to customers based on services, servings, price, and ambience offered by hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong.
The methodology refers to approaches that are integrated in the implementation of the research, and can either quantitative or qualitative, or mixed methods (Marshall, & Rossman, 2011). This research will adopt a qualitative method in order validate the research objectives and questions. Qualitative method adopts textual data as a predominant technique, and its approach is firmly grounded on interpretivism paradigm which is applied in gathering detailed data on the study phenomenon (Reis, & Judd, 2000).
The methods used in this research are surveys and close-ended questionnaires. These two methods were selected due to their ease and convenience in determining the importance of various public relations elements in selecting hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong. Various questions were directed to both the customers, and the identified hotels in Hong Kong regarding the manifestation of the four elements of public relations. The questionnaires was set on 6-point rating scale, where the respondents were subjected to questions based on the four elements, and the predisposing factors that contribute to their decision to select hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong (Maxwell, 2012).
The four main attributes in which the survey and questionnaires would capture include; services offered by the respective hotels, the products offered, location of the hotels and restaurants, and the physical attributes of hotels and restaurants. The responses of the customers would then be collected and summarized for a comparative analysis of the four elements. In addition, a survey directed to the hotels and restaurants will give a sure manifestation to any or all of these elements’ of public relations. The data will then be tabulated, while awaiting a comprehensive analysis.
References
Balasundram, M.&, Mehta, S.S. (2002). Marketing determinants of customers' attitudes towards selecting a restaurant. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal Publisher
Grigoroudis, E., & Siskos, Y. (2010). Customer satisfaction evaluation: Methods for measuring and implementing service quality. New York: Springer.
In Kumar, S., In Dhiman, M. C., & In Dahiya, A. (2015). International tourism and hospitality in the digital age. Hershey, PA : Business Science.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2011). Designing qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage.
Maxwell, J. A. (2012). Qualitative research design. London: Sage.
McBurney, D., & White, T. L. (2010). Research methods. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Reid, R. D., & Bojanic, D. C. (2010). Hospitality marketing management. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. 91
Reis, H. T., & Judd, C. M. (2000). Handbook of research methods in social and personality psychology. Cambridge, U.K: Cambridge University Press.
